Atlas: Excidium
by Shake N. Bake Mormon
Summary: Beacon has fallen. Atlas begins a new semester with an initiation designed specifically cripple the local White Fang presence, as General Ironwood and the kingdom's best minds work to accelerate the training process. However, the greatest threat lies in anonymity, and the Carriers must either get their act together, or watch as the world they know comes to a silent end. (IGNORE)
1. The Frozen North

**Hey!**

 **Yes, this is another reboot. No, I don't know what's wrong with me. I wanted to make a big change to the story, but that would require almost a ground-up rewrite, so that's exactly what I'm doing! Specifically, I'm making one specific person the bad guy instead of trying to make one antagonist for each protagonist like I planned. It's easier on me that way, while simultaneously letting me just get to all the good stuff with this villain instead of introducing him eight chapters in.**

 **Unlike all past reboots, none of the main four are being scrapped! Laura, Malina,** **Nyan, and** **Conáilte (this time he'll start off being called that instead of forcing me to go through nine chapters and change every instance of his name, which by the way I need to use copy-paste to put into the story as I don't have an accent a key), are all still up and kicking! In addition, the old story will stay up for your viewing pleasure! (Okay, but seriously, am I the only person who cringes at stuff I wrote literally a month ago and asks what I was thinking?) And of course, Mew Shadowfang is a huge help as ever.**

 **So, enjoy!**

 **Also, yes, I know I used this as the intro to the first chapter last time, but it's just too good not to use.**

* * *

 **ATLAS: EXCIDIUM**

 **Chapter I**

 **THE FROZEN NORTH**

 **BEACON ACADEMY has fallen.** **In the wake**

 **of the VYTAL FESTIVAL'S** **devastating**

 **conclusion, the four** **nations of Remnant**

 **have lost** **contact with one** **another, and**

 **tensions have escalated to levels** **perhaps**

 **even beyond the GREAT WAR.** **The**

 **creatures of GRIMM have free** **reign over**

 **the most part of the** **world, due to**

 **a severe drop in the** **numbers of active**

 **huntsmen and** **huntresses. What few**

 **remain have** **found much difficulty,** **and**

 **even** **peril, in attempting** **to keep these**

 **dark creatures at bay.**

 **As ATLAS opens its doors to** **refugees from**

 **Vale, its like-named** **warrior academy** **has**

 **taken in former** **Beacon students,** **continuing**

 **their** **training in a much more rigorous** **fashion**

 **than before. Meanwhile,** **GENERAL IRONWOOD**

 **is working with** **the best Atlesian scientists** **to**

 **attempt** **to further accelerate the training**

 **process in order to fill the gap** **and take back**

 **what ground has been** **lost.**

 **At the start of its new semester,** **Atlas Academy**

 **and its instructors** **have decided to use** **the**

 **initation** **process to simultaneously cripple**

 **the local WHITE FANG presence. As** **the next**

 **generation of heroes and** **heroines flies** **towards**

 **their** **targets, the faunus terrorists are** **very much**

 **aware of their plans...**

* * *

Laura had never wanted this.

Here she sat, on an Atlesian airship, getting ready to drop as part of her initiation into a huntress academy. She was finally going to take her first step into a new world, one she would defend as long and hard as she could. She was starting down the path of doing what she always wanted.

The circumstances, however, made relishing this moment impossible.

Ever since the fall of Beacon, tensions between Valeans and Atlesians had been high, and while Atlas had tried to show good will when it extended invitations to ex-Beacon students and up-and-coming students from Vale, it was clear there would be some difficulty getting along. Laura, especially, had reason to be worried, with her faunus heritage so obvious to the beholder. Her wings wrapped around her arms as Laura got more and more worried. She jumped a small amount, however, when something tapped her shoulder.

"Oh, sorry." A voice to her right said. "Just shining it up."

Laura looked to the girl who had spoken to her, a brunette wearing a black sweater and leggings. Laura looked to what she'd been 'shining up,' seeing a steel-grey scoped rifle in the girl's lap.

"Is that a sniper rifle?" Laura asked, wings unfolding from around her arms. The girl smiled.

"Close, it's a marksman rifle actually. Not as strong, but it doesn't punish as much if you miss. Not that that's much of a problem for me, but I'd prefer to stay on the safe side."

"What if you need to get close?"

"Well, this rifle's good at medium to long range, but if someone gets right in my face, I use my semblance." The girl explained.

"What's your semblance?"

"For all intents and purposes, I'm a walking stun grenade."

"Oh! So you designed your weapon to go with your semblance?" The girl looked confused.

"I bought my weapon to work in tandem with my semblance, yes. Did you design yours?"

"Yup! Do you want to take a look?" The girl smiled.

"Sure. Never got your name, by the way."

"I'm Laura." The faunus answered as she reached for her weapon.

"Malina."

"Pleasure to meet you!" Laura presented her weapon to Malina. "Here it is!" Malina took the weapon, a golden khopesh, and turned it in her grip.

"Hm." Malina exhaled, somewhat disappointed. "It's nice, but anyone could just buy a sword like this." Laura smiled.

"Not one that does this!" She said, flipping a switch near the grip. The khopesh blade jutted forward, before flipping along the roll to become a handguard. In the place of the original blade, a rapier with the tip resembling an oversized hypodermic needle emerged. Malina looked at the weapon again, impressed.

"Huh. Haven't seen too many transforming weapons."

"Really? They're all over the place."

"In Beacon, maybe. People here generally prefer more to-the-point weapons. I say 'generally.'" Malina concluded as she looked to another student on the airship holding onto a miniature turbine.

"Well, if you're ever interested in a transforming weapon, just find me. I'd love to help!" Malina smiled.

"I'll remember that, thanks!"

"You're very welcome!"

A moment of silence passed before Malina spoke again.

"So, what kind of bird?"

"I'm sorry?" Laura asked, confused. Malina rephrased the question.

"You have wings. What kind of bird are they?" Laura sat up and extended her wings.

"Oh! I'm a whitehead faunus."

"Like the songbird?"

"Exactly!"

"So, do you whistle while you work?" Laura smiled.

"Yup, but probably not because of that." Malina turned away, embarrassed.

"Right, sorry."

"Oh, no, it's fine! You're not the first to ask."

"Thank you. I've never met a faunus before." Laura frowned.

"From what I've heard, most of the Atlesian ones are in the mines."

"Yeah. You don't... hate us, for that, do you?"

"Me? Of course not! It's sad, of course, but I don't really hate anyone! I just sometimes wish they could be better."

 _You sweet summer child..._ Malina thought to herself.

The conversation was ended as the airship intercom turned on.

"Alright, everyone, we are approaching the drop zone. Remember, first student you see when you land is your partner. First pair you and your partner run into is the other half of your team."

Another student on the airship yelled a response.

"Beacon did teams differently-"

"Yeah, well, this isn't Beacon kid. We don't have chess pieces to grab, we have a mission to complete." The pilot was quiet for a moment before continuing. "Alright, arriving in two minutes. Everyone have your gear ready."

Unbeknownst to the passengers or pilot of the airship, an anti-aircraft weapon with the white fang insignia was taking aim from the forest below.

"Remember, the objective is a White Fang factory that was recently discovered by the Atlas military. We are unsure of the contents, so remain cau-"

The pilot was interrupted as a shot hit the engine of the airship. While a small minority of airships had hard-light dust to protect them, this was no such ship, and as such, the airship began to lose altitude upon impact.

"Mayday! Mayday! Airship Golf Romeo India Foxtrot has been hit! I repeat-"

The passenger bay door opened as the pilot reiterated his distress call. Laura and Malina looked to each other and nodded.

The two ran towards the bay door and jumped.

* * *

A boy in a blue hoodie held onto the edge of the bay door as the airship neared the treetops.

"Oy gevalt..." he murmured as he leapt for the pathway.

He had hardly landed before he started running, and judging by what he heard, he wasn't the only person who had thought of this. Expected, considering they were entering a huntsman academy, and therefore at least should have been somewhat intelligent. What wasn't expected, however, was the sound of a motorcycle rapidly gaining on him. Before he could react, the rider grabbed him and placed him on the seat behind her.

"You didn't think you'd get ALL the fun, did you?" a female voice asked through the helmet.

"No, I just thought I'd get the job done so we all get back to the academy intact!" The boy yelled back.

"Aw, you're no fun." The girl lifted the visor on her helmet and turned to the boy. "Name's Nyan, by the way."

"Conáilte, and if I do say so myself, I'm decently fun when we don't have a job to do! Fun's what you do AFTER a mission, after you've survived!"

"Maybe for you, but I'm here for a good time, not a long time, baby!" Nyan yelled as she popped a wheelie and accelerated.

"Are you TRYING to get us killed? They'll here this for miles!"

"So?"

"So, I don't want to be in the general vicinity of an idiot who's going to wind up dead!" Conáilte yelled as he jumped off the motorcycle. The blue-hooded boy stood up and looked around, and saw two students emerge from the forest.

"Hey! Do you have a partner?" One of them asked.

"We're looking for another pair." The second added.

"Uh... no, sorry." Conáilte apologized.

"Oh, okay." The first one responded. "Hope you find a good partner!"

"Thanks!" _That ship has sunk, unfortunately._

Conáilte gathered his bearings and walked in the direction of the factory.

* * *

Laura and Malina looked to each other after brushing themselves off.

"Partners?" Laura asked.

"Partners."

Laura looked around them. All she could see was an uncountable mess of identical trees. Laura shivered before she turned to Malina again.

"Which way do we go?"

Malina looked at her watch, holding it to her eye and pointing the hour hand towards the sun. She then pointed her finger in the direction of 8:45.

"Northeast. That way."

"Oh!" Laura gasped, impressed. "My partner's a master navigator!"

"Not really." Malina shrugged. "My father's a detective in the Atlas PD, and I've picked up a lot from him."

"Oh, that's incredible!"

Laura and Malina started heading northeast, but slowed as they heard other sets of footsteps.

"Get down!" Malina whispered. The two took cover in the underbrush as a group of White Fang soldiers passed through. Once they were gone, the two stood up again, and Malina gestured for quiet. The two continued, this time with much more stealth, before they reached a small clearing filled with noise.

Laura and Malina peeked into the clearing, and saw a girl with a motorcycle fighting numerous grunts. They stayed hidden as she dodged blows and countered with her own, most of them diagonal. A casual observer would place their bets on the motorcyclist, but Laura and Malina knew better.

"They're going to send reinforcements. There's no way they don't hear that." Laura unsheathed her weapon.

"The sooner the fight's done, the sooner she'll cut the engine or get somewhere else."

"So, go help her! I'll provide cover fire from here." Laura nodded to her partner, and extended her wings. Her takeoff was marginally faster than usual, and she got a hit on a grunt with her weapon's khopesh form before being noticed, stopping an attack the motorcyclist had missed.

"Hey, thanks for the save!" The girl cheered. Then she turned to more grunts. "Now, who's next?!"

The motorcyclist revved her engine and darted towards a small cluster of grunts, jumping off the vehicle and over the heads of the grunts as it collided with them. She landed in front of her ride, grabbing it by the handlebars before leaping at what remained of the cluster, swinging her weapon with sufficient force to send at least one of them several yards with each strike.

Meanwhile, Laura flew above and between grunts, slashing at them with the power of the additional speed, using the same to dodge incoming attacks. She landed near a group of three grunts, converting her weapon to its rapier form as she blocked an attack from a sword user. She used the attacker's force to move herself to his backside before jabbing him with her weapon's tip. Naturally, his armor prevented puncture, but the force still caused the soldier to fall forward in pain. Laura leapt over the other two's attacks, her wings giving her some extra height, dodging and parrying their attacks until she had whittled them both down.

One reason the two hadn't been outnumbered, however, was the fact that many were falling before they could get close to either. By the time any of them noticed the glint of her scope, it was too late, and Malina had already taken them down with a few quick, accurate shots.

As the last grunt fell, Malina emerged from the underbrush.

"We can't stay here. They have the numbers advantage, and rescue isn't an option until that anti-air is down."

"So now we have two objectives?" The motorcyclist wondered aloud.

"Not necessarily. It's likely connected to the factory itself. Once that goes down, triple-a shouldn't remain operational for very long." Malina answered.

"Malina's right. Do you have a partner?" Laura asked the motorcyclist.

"I had a partner, but he ditched me. Hey, there he is!"

Conáilte groaned as he realized he'd been spotted. _I should've used my semblance back there._

"Hey, what do you think you're doing, ditching me in the woods? We're partners, remember?"

"How could I forget, you absolute lunatic?"

"Hey, settle down, you two!" Laura intervened.

"Fine." Conáilte conceded. Nyan began to mount her vehicle. "That motorcycle's going to give away our position."

"How am I gonna get to the factory?"

"You're gonna walk, like the rest of us. Might help you build some muscle, pencil legs. While we're at it, pick up a gun off one of these guys."

"Oh, a motorcycle's too loud, I should use a gun!" Nyan mocked.

"A gunshot here isn't going to attract nearly as much attention as a motorcycle."

"He's right." Malina chimed in. "At least while we're on the way there, we want to keep a low profile."

"But," Laura added, "maybe she can use the motorcycle once we get to the factory." Nyan smiled.

"Sounds good!" The motorcyclist responded as she removed her helmet, revealing a neon green pixie cut. "Oh, name's Nyan by the way."

"Nice to meet you! And you?" Laura asked the boy as Nyan went to look for a temporary weapon.

"Conáilte, who are you?"

"Laura, and this is Malina." The blonde gestured to her partner.

"Alright, so roll call's done. Nyan, hurry up so we can get moving." Conáilte rolled his eyes. "She isn't looking at EVERY SINGLE GUN, is she?" He muttered to no one in particular.

Nyan chose a firearm and ran to her team, and Conáilte spoke as they started walking to the factory.

"So, what do y'all think this little band's gonna be called?" Malina hummed with thought.

"I'm seeing LuMiNesCent or CLeMeNtine. Magnolia would be a bit of a stretch, but it could work. I'd put my money on LMNC, though."

"Yeah, the others sound kinda lame." Nyan agreed.

"So, Laura'd be the leader, huh?"

"Sounds likely."

"What?" Laura gasped. "I've never led anyone before! I can fight good-"

"Well." Conáilte corrected.

"I can fight pretty well, but leading?"

"Hey, relax, L!" Nyan comforted. "You'll do fine! You already helped Conáilte and I stop fighting for a second, you should be able to do it for the next few years."

"Nyan's right. I'm willing to give you a chance, and you should give yourself a chance too." Laura smiled.

"Thanks, guys. Maybe being on a team with all of you will be fun!"

"Yeah, at least you HAVE done some fighting." Nyan pointed out before turning to Conáilte. "We haven't seen YOU fight yet. Do you even have a weapon?"

"Yeah, I've got a gun." Conáilte replied, unholstering a pistol. Nyan couldn't resist the urge not to laugh, but quickly covered it.

"That's it?"

"Hey, don't underestimate pistols. They can be a pretty reliable weapon, especially in a pinch."

"Rounds?" Malina asked.

"Beg your pardon?"

"What kind of round?"

"12.7 by 40 SAP-HE." Malina smirked.

"Fancy. Why not a rifle with the same?"

"Easier to conceal, transport, and possibly dual-wield."

"You're still sacrificing some range." Malina contested.

"If I need to, I can use most standard-issue weapons just fine."

"Why not just start with those things?"

"I don't need to." Malina shrugged.

"It sounds like you know your salt." Nyan piped up.

"The force uses them every day."

"The police?"

"Yeah. My father's a detective."

"Oh!" Nyan gasped, impressed.

"Wait, hold up." Laura whispered to the group. The four crept to the hilltop, and saw the factory below. There was obviously some effort put towards keeping it hidden, but it was barely noticeable. Malina peered through her scope to recon the area.

"I see a few outside, but I think a decent number are out looking for the rest of us."

"How comfortable are you with trying to hit them from up here?" Conáilte asked.

"I could do it, but unless there's a distraction, they'd probably find me out by shot five at the latest."

"Alright, the rest of us need to get closer anyway."

"I'll cover the best I can, but if I get overwhelmed, I'll join you down there."

"Got it."

Laura frowned to herself.

 _I'm probably going to be the leader, but everyone else is doing the job for me. Are they sure I'm cut out to lead them? Am I?_

"Now, Nyan, I know this might be a foreign concept to you, but where has she gone."

"NYYAAAAAN ZAAAAFFRRRRRRRRRRE!" The motorcyclist yelled as she sped down the path.

"Sonuvab-!"

"Nyan, wait!"

Conáilte sprinted down the hill as Laura took flight and Malina took aim. Nyan engaged the grunts, soon joined by Laura. Conáilte, meanwhile, was shooting the occasional grunt as he sprinted to the factory entrance. One grunt noticed him and began to pursue, so he entered the factory and went behind a pillar near the door. The grunt rushed in, and used the entryway as cover while he shot and Laura and Nyan, unaware of the presence about to knock him out with a swift blow to the head.

* * *

As Malina covered the two fighting outdoors, the motorcyclist turned towards a group of grunts, burning out before rushing them. As the grunts took aim, Nyan turned her motorcycle horizontally, sweeping the feet of the grunts and using the momentum to stand up. Once up, she threw her vehicle at another grunt, knocking him into the side of the factory with the back tire. Nyan pushed a button on her helmet, which made the bike right itself and drive towards its owner. Nyan mounted the cycle again and zoomed towards another group.

Meanwhile, Laura was much more evasive in her tactics, a task made easier with flight. After dodging one sword strike, she used her semblance, creating a soundwave from nothing but air, powerful enough to knock the soldiers to the ground and give herself a greater height advantage. Laura flew to the ground to slash at another white fang grunt, as a DMR round prevented yet another from doing the same to her. Laura flew towards a considerably large grunt, slashing his leg as she flew close to the ground. A few rounds hit the grunt as he unsheathed a sword of his own, but he didn't appear to be hurt. Instead, he jumped to Malina's position with two quick bounds.

Malina rolled backwards as he landed and swung, and fired two shots before juking another attack. Malina quickly reloaded her weapon, replacing the existing magazine with one labelled 'Ice.' She shot the large grunts foot, freezing it in place with a block of ice, followed by encasing his head in the same. As the larger grunt stumbled, at least to the degree that he could, Malina jumped at a tree, using it as a springboard to kick the larger grunt in the head, breaking the ice and knocking him to the ground unconscious.

Malina turned to see a few more grunts had found her position. As they took aim, however, she slammed her eyes shut, and the terrorists were met with a blinding light and ringing ears. By the time they had recovered, the girl was gone.

"Laura!" Malina called to her partner as she joined her on the ground.

"Malina! Are you alright?"

"Yes, but my position got overrun. Do you need me down here?"

"Yeah, but hopefully not for too much longer." Laura replied as she kept fighting. Malina shot the grunt giving her partner trouble a few times before she heard Nyan speed behind her, hitting another as she jumped with the bike. Malina repositioned herself closer to the factory, and peered in to see Conáilte attempting to ambush a small group within. As she took aim to give him a distraction, she heard their conversation.

"So, you have any idea what else we'll find here?"

"If we haven't found everything, I'd be surprised."

"I wouldn't. We've found something new in every room so far, and who's to say there isn't more?"

The conversation was interrupted as Malina shot a round at the third grunt in the room.

"Human!" One of the grunts yelled as they both raised their weapons. This, however, gave Conáilte a perfect opportunity, as he jumped down, used his weapon to smack one grunt across the back of the head, and shot the other in a similar location.

"Thanks for the distraction." Malina nodded in response. Before she could say anything, Conáilte stepped onto a shotgun, using the grunt it was resting on as a fulcrum, and caught it in mid-air before shooting a fourth grunt investigating the noise. "Right, now how do we bring this place down?"

"Look around. See if we can figure out where the weight's resting, then find something here that'll help us destroy it."

"Alright, I'll look for the tool." Conáilte volunteered.

"I'll look at the walls, and see if I can find any schematics." The two split up, and as Malina started examining each wall and pillar, Conáilte explored the next room. It was an observation deck, clearly, though no light was shining on whatever it was supposed to be observing.

"Well, let's see what you've been hiding here." Conáilte muttered to himself as he hit the lights. He recoiled, however, when he saw a giant, quadrupedal battle station, equipped with what had to be the biggest laser weapon he'd ever seen. It stood no less than 150 feet tall, as far as he could eyeball it.

"Well, let's hope THAT goes down with it." Conáilte looked again. "Freaking both of 'em."

* * *

Malina peered into every folder she could, digital or otherwise. The digital ones were, for the most part, nightmares to get through, and had managed to completely shut her out. None of it seemed like White Fang intel, however. Malina neared the end of the digital file list, and her eyes widened as she saw an unlocked file.

 _Got it,_ Malina thought as she viewed the building schematics. She jotted down some notes on the structure before copying the files to her scroll for evidence. _Maybe Dad can crack these._

"Conáilte?" Malina called to her teammate.

"Yeah?" The boy responded, looking for something with good firepower.

"I think I've found a vulnerability."

"Go on."

"That girder right there is supporting a large amount of the ceiling and upstairs." Malina pointed to the subject. "That part would collapse, and probably bring the rest down with it."

"Good. What's your plan for how to bring it down?"

"I thought finding a tool was YOUR job."

"It IS, but the most firepower I've found here is a rocket launcher."

"Think that'll do the trick?"

"Maybe, but we'd have to make some serious progress first before this'll make a dent." Malina looked over the girder. After a second, she ran to the factory door.

"Laura, Nyan? Are you two busy?"

"Not at the moment, but more might be coming back."

"Alright. Laura, we'll need you in here."

"Okay. Nyan, you stay outside. Keep the white fang out."

"You betcha!" The green-haired motorcyclist chirped. Laura walked into the factory.

"Why do you need me?"

"I have an idea for how we're going to take the place down."

"What is it?"

"Laura, do you think you could cut through this girder with that sword?"

"What? The blade's not THAT big!"

"No, but you've got speed and flight. Go back and forth, like you're cutting something with a knife. You should only need to cut through half of it. Then, we've got something else for you to do."

"So, we DON'T need a tool, and I searched for no reason?"

"No. You mentioned something about rocket launchers. We're going to need a getaway after this."

"I saw a few ATVs." Conáilte remembered.

"So did I. That's going to be our ride. But I highly doubt they'll just let us get away after we take down the factory. Once we go, we're going to need some of those launchers, just in case."

"How many?"

"Two should be fine." Laura piped up. "If I'm going to be doing this, I'll be too exhausted to use a rocket launcher. You and Malina can cover us."

"Alright, but once the thing goes, you have to get on and get going quickly. We'll bring Nyan closer to the door, too." Malina nodded. "Let's get started. Not everyone's in as secure a position as we are, and the sooner the anti-air's down, the better."

"How will Atlas know the factory's down?"

"I'll take care of confirmation." Malina replied.

Laura took a deep breath and extended her wings.

 _Takeoff._

* * *

It took the better part of a half hour, but at last Laura had cut halfway through the girder. The blonde landed on the floor, stumbling a little as she did so and breathing heavily.

"Are you guys almost done in there? I'm gonna start getting tired soon!" Nyan yelled from outside.

"Getting there!" Conáilte yelled to his partner. "Alright, that's done. What was the next part?"

"Laura, do you think you can use your semblance?"

"I... I think so."

"Alright. Could you use the biggest burst you can on that girder? The top half, specifically. I'd say get onto the ATV first."

"Of course." Laura got onto the ATV, as Malina moved closer to the door and Conáilte sat in passenger, the latter two holding rocket launchers.

Laura took a deep breath as Malina called Nyan to the doorway. Then, with all the energy she could muster without risking loss of consciousness, she shook the air next to the girder, sliding the top out of position.

The building started crumbling immediately, as Malina boarded Nyan's motorcycle and Laura hit the gas. The two vehicles rushed away as the factory began to cave in, Malina capturing a picture on her scroll with her free hand.

"Confirmation sent. Once they see that, evac should be any minute."

"We got company!" Conáilte yelled as he took aim. Behind the two vehicles, Malina saw a prototype Paladin chasing the four.

 _They're almost angrier than I thought they'd be._ Thought Laura. "Take it down!"

"Easier said than done!" Conáilte retaliated. "Malina, fire at the left leg, I'll take the right. We can't take it down, but we can SLOW it down."

"Got it!" Malina yelled as she took aim.

The two fired simultaneously, and the impact of both rockets caused the Paladin to trip. Nothing it couldn't recover from, of course, but enough of a slowdown to buy them some peace of mind.

Malina perked up and the team turned as her scroll-and a moment later, theirs- started playing a transmission.

"Students of Atlas Academy, this is General Ironwood. We have received confirmation of the factory's destruction, and have sent rescue teams to the area. You are the last initiation group to complete their objective, and as such, all student-designated dropships are available for evacuation purposes, regardless of location. Your objective now is to create distance between yourselves and large groups of White Fang troops. I hope to meet you all at the academy very shortly."

"Woo-hoo!" Nyan shouted. "We're home free!"

"Wait!" Laura yelled, feeling tremors. "What's that?"

The four looked behind them as the four battle stations Conáilte had seen emerged from the rubble, wandering into the forest before disappearing over the hillsides.

"...Yeah, I MAY have forgotten to tell you all about those."

"Guys." Malina called to her team. "The mech won't catch us on the move, but we can't risk stopping to get picked up."

"She's right," a dropship pilot announced through their scrolls as she flew overhead. "Unless more than one of you can fly, you're gonna have to deal with it before I can set down."

"Unless we jump!" Nyan yelled. "There's a gorge up ahead. Lower the ship into it, and we'll jump onto the boarding ramp. If you close it quick enough, the mech won't be able to grab it and fall down!"

"Huh. Well, it doesn't sound like we have many other options. Here goes nothing..." the dropship pilot flew past the four, descending into the gorge.

"Wait, Nyan! We can't make that!" Laura yelled to her teammate.

"Yeah we can, I do this kind of jump all the time! The only block's the mental one!"

Laura took a deep breath as she sped towards the gorge. The two vehicles experienced a bumpy landing, but were prevented from falling out from the dropship's liftoff thanks to the ramp's closing, which also blocked the team's sight of the falling Paladin. As the dropship leveled out, and the team gathered their bearings, all Laura could do was sigh.

 _And this is only initiation..._

* * *

Laura looked around as the airship landed at Atlas Academy. Her home for the next four years. She still would have rather gone to Beacon, though, and not simply due to the warmer climate. Malina, however, was perfectly content; she was still within a few blocks of her house, and could navigate the nearby streets like the back of her hand. Nyan, per usual, emitted a boatload of energy as she skipped out of the dropship, wheeling her motorcycle beside her. Conáilte didn't seem to display any emotion, minus what hints his hunched posture could give.

The four entered the auditorium, waiting for the other evacuated students to trickle in. As they waited, Malina opened up her scroll and messaged her father.

/Sending some files. Found on main computer at recently destroyed factory. Care to look into them?/

\\\I'll see what I can do. Thanks\\\

Malina sent the files before putting away her scroll. She turned to her partner, noticing her look of worry.

"Hey, you'll do great. If what I saw in the forest is what you are outside it, you'll be a leader we can all be proud of." Laura unfolded her wings from around her arms.

"Thanks. I just... can't believe it."

The auditorium was filling up, and before long, all of the students had crowded in. Once they had, the speakers played a loud screech to get the attention of the student body. On stage was General Ironwood, stepping up to the microphone.

"As the world reels from the loss of Beacon Academy, it is with great pride that I congratulate you all for finding the strength to train and study at Atlas. This environment may be unfamiliar to many of you, and it may take some time for you all to become comfortable. Unfortunately, some of you may never be fully comfortable here." Laura frowned at the the thought of who precisely the general was talking about. "However, it is important to remember that the instructors here at Atlas Academy are always here for you. Have you any questions or concerns, barring classified information, please don't hesitate to ask." The general paused, looking over the crowd. "As we start this new semester here at Atlas, I would like to take the time to announce all of the new combat teams. Come onto the stage as your name is called." The general looked to a piece of paper in his hands. "Laura Thrush, Malina Aulnoy, Nyan Zaffre, and Conáilte Laoch."

The team was surprised for a moment, not expecting to be the first team announced, but nonetheless walked onto the stage, standing at attention as Ironwood spoke.

"Laura Thrush. Those who know you do so as a source of comfort. You care for acquaintances as friends, and friends as family. However, while you choose to see the best in others, you lack confidence in your own ability. Trust your team to guide you, but do not forget that as team leader, you must guide them in return."

Laura summoned as much boldness as she could muster as she responded, "Yes, sir!"

"Malina Aulnoy. You are wise and intelligent beyond your years, and can often be counted on as a voice of reason. However, it is important that you trust your team to want the best for you, and understand when retreat is a fair tactic. Let them watch over you as you them."

"Yes, sir." Malina responded, her confidence less forced than her partner's.

"Nyan Zaffre. The fears that often make people too afraid to help others always fail to stop you. You are incredibly courageous, and can be expected to do what no one else will. However, this bravery can betray you if left unchecked. Have your team's support, and trust their judgement. They may save your life as often and with as much passion as you save theirs."

"Yes sir!" Nyan replied excitedly.

"Conáilte Laoch. You are considered by those around you to be incredibly clever and down-to-earth, though your issues with empathy are not unknown to those around you, either. Be patient with your team. They may surprise you."

"Yes, sir." Conáilte responded. In Laura's mind, he sounded the most like an actual Atlesian soldier as he did so.

"The four of you have proven more than capable in a dangerous setting. In destroying the White Fang Factory, you have secured a place as one of the new combat teams at Atlas Academy. For the duration of your time here, you shall be collectively known as team LuMiNesCent, led by Laura Thrush. Good luck to you all."

The four responded in unison.

"Yes, sir!"

* * *

The dorm rooms of Atlas could not contrast more with Beacon's. Rather than the peach and red colors that would have lined the walls of the latter, the Atlas dorms were colored with greys and blues, with the window unable to be opened, being designed for vision and protection rather than appearance. A single desk, a chair, a dresser of four drawers, and four wire frame beds were the only pieces of furniture in the room, and no further decoration was present, unless one counted the carpet. The team looked around for a moment.

"Well, we've seen all there is." Conáilte said as he walked towards a bed and set his belongings on it.

"I call this one!" Nyan yelled as she ran to a bed and jumped onto it, though instead of bouncing as she had hoped, she stopped dead as she hit it.

"You're a moron."

"I'll take this one." Malina said, walking towards the one closest to the bathroom.

"Ah, crap, I should've taken that one." Malina smirked as she started unpacking. Laura walked to the one unclaimed, setting her luggage down at the foot of the bed.

"Should drawers go height order or rank order?"

"'Rank?' We're all students." Nyan replied.

"Rank within the team. Chain of command. If Laura is missing or unconscious or something, Malina is second in command, et cetera."

"The chain of command would be more symbolic, but I think height order works out better logistically." Malina voted, not looking away from the piles she was sorting.

"That's what I was thinking."

"Well, who's the tallest?" Conáilte looked at Malina.

"Malina, height?"

"Five six."

"Laura?"

"Four ten."

"Nyan?"

"Five two!"

"Five ten, top's mine." Conáilte grabbed his clothes and walked to the dresser. As he dumped in his clothes, which weren't plentiful enough for all of them fitting to be an issue, he turned to his leader. "So, what exactly is it?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"Your semblance. The one that brought the factory down."

"Oh! I basically create a sound from a certain place. Shake the air molecules. It lets me distract the enemies, or just knock them away."

"Huh."

"For that matter," Malina noted, "I think we should all get to know each others' semblances. It'll do a lot to help us get used to fighting together."

"Chain of command?"

"Sure." Malina nodded. "My semblance makes me a walking stun grenade, as I already told Laura. I have to close my eyes for a second to do it, though."

"Cool, that'll work well with mine."

"That being?"

"When I leave someone's sight, I can make them forget I was ever there. They'll remember everything the next time they see me, but until then, they didn't see nothing."

"There we go, we have a team strategy already!" Nyan cheered.

"Technically, it only consists of half the team." Conáilte corrected.

"It's a start." Laura defended. "Nyan? What's your semblance?" The motorcyclist smirked before jumping towards Laura, disappearing, and reappearing behind her leader an instant later.

"Oh, teleportation." Malina nodded with approval.

"Nope!"

"Invisibility?" Conáilte guessed.

"Not exactly." The hyperactive girl answered.

"What is it?" asked Laura.

"Basically, I put myself into another world, a parallel one. For every foot I move there, I move three here. When I feel I'm where I need to be, which is just instinct, I come back to this one. Usually use it to make jumps."

"Whoa."

"Oy, gevalt..."

"That's incredible, Nyan!" Laura cheered. Before Nyan could respond, the four heard a knock on the door. Laura opened it to see an Atlesian soldier standing at attention.

"Sorry to interrupt, but the General has summoned your team to the south building. Please, do not delay any longer than absolutely necessary." Laura looked to her teammates, a shared look of concern in all their faces. The four followed the soldier outside, and walked towards the south building. As they approached, they saw six other teams had met with General Ironwood, and three more joined after them. General Ironwood did a quick headcount before nodding and speaking quietly.

"All of you are to enter the elevator, and what I tell you all when we arrive is not to be shared with anyone. Understood?"

* * *

The forty students and the General entered a dark room. Miraculously, there seemed to be more than enough room for all of the students, even after considering many were huddling together. The general turned and pulled a switch, turning on the lights in the room, and the students gasped at what they saw.

There were forty pairs of what appeared to be medical capsules, each pair having one that contained a strange-looking automaton. The room was filled with whispers, some of confusion and some of fear, before the General gestured for their attention. As the students quieted down, the General began calmly.

"As was made public knowledge following the Fall of Beacon, P.E.N.N.Y. was Atlas' first successful model of a sentient synthetic being. She was capable of storing and producing an aura, just like all of you. However, what we did not disclose to the public was how we achieved this feat. In the process of creating P.E.N.N.Y., we discovered that aura could be stored within certain kinds of vessels, with the P.E.N.N.Y. unit containing one such vessel within."

The general scanned the room, noticing looks of shock, respect, and, as before, confusion and fear. He then continued.

"Atlas has made significant strides in the study of aura, and we have discovered a way to transfer it from one vessel, or person, to another. In the months since the Fall of Beacon, we have mass-produced the required machinery to perform aura transfer. What you see in this room is the fruits of our labors."

"I suppose you're all wondering what the automatons are. Before any of you ask, we are not transferring your aura into them. Rather, we are using them to transfer aura into all of you." One student raised her hand. "Yes?"

"Why not? Wouldn't it be more beneficial to build more P.E.N.N.Y. units?"

"Possibly, yes. However, the P.E.N.N.Y. who faught in the Vytal festival tournament cost billions of lien to produce. Replacing even half of you would require an entire three quarters of our military budget. This process is much cheaper, and could potentially be more effective." Another raised hand. "Yes?"

"Where did you get the aura?" The general frowned.

"Many huntsmen and huntresses, including those of young ages, are gravely wounded in missions every day. We have harvested the aura of some with no chance to survive, sometimes with permission and sometimes while they are comatose."

"Is this procedure risky?"

"Unfortunately, yes. The scientists have predicted a 10% chance of fatality among those who undergo the procedure. However, I would like to clarify that this does not necessarily mean any of you will die." The general looked to another hand. "Yes?"

"What if we don't want to do this?" The general smiled.

"I was wondering if somebody would ask that. While the decision does not have to be unanimous among the forty of you, it must be unanimous among your combat team. If any one of your teammates refuses to undergo the procedure, none of your team will receive it. Keep in mind, you will all have until this date next month to come to a decision." The general looked over the crowd again, this time his attention focused to Malina. "Yes?"

"If aura is a manifestation of one's soul, would gaining a second one alter our personality?"

"An apt question. We are unsure of whether this is the case across the board, but our first successful subject of the procedure claims to still have autonomy over their body, with the personality of the dual aura existing as a voice within their mind."

"And what about semblance?" A boy in the crowd asked.

"From what we've observed, you will each likely gain a new semblance, due to its connection to aura."

"So our semblances will be replaced?"

"No. Instead, you will each possess a dual semblance." The room was filled with chatter once again.

"We will give you all some time to come to a decision amongst your teams. Remember, none of this is shared with anyone outside this room. When you go through the procedure, the rest of the student body will believe you were sent on another mission. For your career's sake, make sure it stays that way. Am I clear?"

"Sir, yes sir!"

* * *

Team LMNC arrived at their dorm, not having spoken a word since they left the bunker. Even once they arrived, there was a minute of silence before Laura spoke up.

"So what now?"

"I say we do it!" yelled Nyan, startling Conáilte with her sudden burst of emotion.

"Of course you do, you don't comprehend risk." Conáilte chided.

"Hey!"

"Give me one reason you want to do this. Fun doesn't count."

"I want to become a better huntress. This makes a world of difference. Why are you against?"

"I'm not. I want to make sure you're making a decision that isn't as rash as your track record so far."

"I don't know guys." Laura chimed in. "10% is awfully high. I'm not sure..."

"Technically, that's still only per-person probability. Theoretically, it would be possible for all forty students to get through without a single death." Malina noted.

"I know, but it still has me worried. Conáilte? Why are you placing so much faith in this?"

"Well, for what Malina said, but also because it's our responsibility now."

"I beg your pardon?"

"We were offered this because they saw us being able to do more. To do the jobs no one else could. To have that opportunity and turn it down would be letting the whole world down." Laura frowned.

"But what if something happens to one of you? As your team leader, that'd be on me, or at least feel like it. I don't want to hold you all back, but I want to keep you all safe."

"Laura, what if something happens out there? That's not even a 'what if,' it's going to happen." Malina spoke calmly. "If we all go through with this, we'll be better prepared when it does." Laura lowered her head. "If you want to try and protect us, that's understandable. But the way I see it, you'll be doing that a lot better by going through with the procedure."

"...Okay." Laura said. She raised her head and looked to her team. "We're doing this. For all of you." Malina smiled.

"Thank you."

"Thanks, L!"

"Nice."

As the team finished unpacking, Laura walked up to Conáilte. She'd had the least time to talk to him out of any of them, and being team leader, wanted to make sure she was doing what she could for him, too.

"Hey, Conáilte. Need any help unpacking?"

"Nope, I'm all done. Got everything in the drawer."

"Oh." Laura paused a moment before trying again. "Are you from here?"

"Nah, Vale. Just out of the main city, but not Mountain Glenn out of it."

"Oh! Do you have any siblings?"

"Oldest of six."

"Whoa! I'm youngest of two."

"Where's the first?"

"She's helping clean up at Beacon. She was a third year when it happened, but once she's done there, she'll come here and start as a fourth."

"Huh. Hey, Laura?"

"Yes?"

"What do you think life is?"

"I beg your pardon?"

"General said you were an optimist. Not directly, but he said it. In one word, how would you define Being?" Laura thought for a moment.

"I don't know. I've... never really thought of that before." Conáilte nodded.

"Most people don't. Personally, I'd say 'suffering.'"

"Why would you say that?"

"Prove me wrong."

"If life is suffering, then why are people happy? Why do we come together?"

"Because the fact that life is suffering is a call to action. We all have to work to make it less of that. You use that as a spring board and tell yourself, 'I'm going to do this, because life is suffering and I want it to be better.' You have to accept that. Part of maturity, and part of doing the right thing. That's what makes a good person. And if there's any kind of person we need as our leader..." Conáilte turned to Laura. "It's that." Laura was silent for a moment.

"Thanks for the advice." Conáilte smirked.

"Yes, ma'am."

* * *

A computer screen was all that illuminated the room. It shone almost exclusively on a single man, sitting and staring at the screen, chin resting on his intertwined hands. On the screen were all of the new combat teams at Atlas academy. Underneath his mask, his eyes narrowed as he scanned over them.

"Do you suspect any prime candidates this year?" He asked calmly to another man, an elderly one standing to his side.

"You never quite know, sir."

"I am well aware, Mr. Persimmon. I am asking your opinion as to whether any of them show potential." Mr. Persimmon brought his finger to his chin.

"Team LuMiNesCent is likely to be one of the top teams. After all, they were the team responsible for destroying the factory. Speaking of which, sir, are we considering retaliation against them for that matter?"

"No. Nothing of value was lost. They didn't even harm the reasons behind that factory's existence in the first place. However, I believe with this radical new step on the school's part..."

"Will this upset our plans, sir?" The seated man turned to the elder.

"Not at all. We've been laying the proverbial bricks for years. A collection of small actions could prove troublesome, but I have reason to believe such a large step as this should still not be a threat." He turned back to the screen. "Though it is intriguing. Look over the camera footage tonight. Keep a note of all the individuals who accept the procedure."

"Yes, sir."

"After that, pick up the items we tasked our... associates to retrieve. There should be one at each of the next five drop-off addresses. Should any... complications arise, retrieve the items yourself. On their person or otherwise."

"Yes sir, Master Rosso." Mr. Rosso turned back to the screen.

"This is quite the turn of events, Mr. Persimmon. I hope for your assistance to use it to great advantage." Mr. Persimmon nodded and took his leave. Grigio Rosso looked at the screen for a moment longer.

"Now, what have we here?"

* * *

 **And thus completes the first chapter of the reboot!**

 **Now, I made some allusions to the character's outfits within the text to spice up dialogue, but I'm going to use this AN to exposit character appearance just so I don't have to find a way to shoehorn a segment about their outfit into the story.**

 **Laura: Blonde hair to her shoulders, blue eyes. She wears a pink sleeveless dress with a skirt to her kneecaps. She also wears gold-colored sandals.**

 **Malina: Probably the only one I could manage to get away with in-text. As stated, she wears a black sweater, black leggings, and converse style sneakers. Brown hair to her lower back, and brown eyes.**

 **Nyan: Green pixie cut was established, but not her green eyes, denim jacket, neon green gradient shirt, red scarf, green fingerless gloves, black boots and jean shorts. (Far and away the most stand-out appearance, which fits with her personality)**

 **Conáilte: Blue hoodie, blue jeans, blue/grey/green sneakers. Brown hair parted on the left, and brown eyes.**

 **Anyway, that's about it! Chapter 2 should be up within the next month (I'm not THAT busy), and I'll definitely try to upload more consistently. Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you all in the next chapter!**


	2. Upon Their Shoulders

**Welcome to the second chapter! This may seem more abrupt than usual, but let's just get right into it! Thanks again to Mew Shadowfang for the scenes she contributed!**

* * *

 **ATLAS: EXCIDIUM**

 **Chapter II**

 **UPON THEIR SHOULDERS**

* * *

Laura took a deep breath as the elevator door opened. She and her team were mere yards from the entrance to the bunker, ready for the procedure. Well, her team was, anyway. Laura didn't want to admit it to her team, but her decision to go with the procedure wasn't hers. She was supposed to be the leader, but here she was, following the lead of the rest of her team.

 _Maybe the new voice in my head will help me._ Laura continued to mentally kick herself as the team stood at attention in front of General Ironwood, his gaze colder than ice. Laura could feel the shivers running down her back when the man's eyes landed on her.

"Miss Thrush, Miss Aulnoy, Miss Zaffre and Mister Laoch. You all truly wish to undertake this process?"

Laura stepped up.

"Yes, sir." She fought to keep her voice from wavering, digging her nails into the palms of her hands. It was all she could do to silently follow General Ironwood to the first pod.

As the five marched down the row of pods, the General thought back to a statement he'd made months prior.

 _"Do you honestly believe your children can win a war?"_ The general sighed at the memory. _It looks like mine will have to._

* * *

As they convened around one of the pods in the room, Ironwood turned to face them for what might be the last time.

"Now, who out of you will go first?"

Nyan started forward, a dangerous light in her eyes. "I'll-"

"I'll go."

Everyone turned to the Bird Faunus, one of her wings extended to prevent Nyan from going anywhere. Her eyes held steely determination that wasn't there before. The general nodded.

"Alright. Step into the pod, please."

Laura felt her heart beat quicker as the glass cover of the pod clicked shut. The cold metal pressed against her back, and it felt suffocating in the limited space. Her wings didn't have the room to spread, and were instead partially curled around her like a feathery cocoon. Through the clear glass, she could see her three teammates looking on with interest and worry.

"Are you ready, Miss Thrush?"

She closed her eyes, swallowed her fear, and nodded.

"I need a verbal response, please." The general noted. He knew what the answer was, but it was a liability nonetheless.

"Yes." Laura said, albeit with a smidge less determination than before. The general nodded before pushing a small button.

* * *

The machinery around her started whirring. It vibrated lightly around her, doing little to help her nerves. With each little jolt, her heart pounded faster and faster. She clenched her hands into fists.

And then the power hit.

The pain was unlike anything she had ever experienced before. Foreign aura was suddenly all around her, seeping into the only thing it could: her. Fire seemed to spread all over her body, feeling as though her own limbs were trying to tear themselves away. She hardly felt herself lurch as her body rejected the aura, trying to force the new soul out.

Pieces seemed to make its way inside of her, crowding around her mind and thoughts. New, but old, memories bombarded her head. Her own memories were attacked, something completely alien invading and picking through her brain. Dimly, she was aware of the frantic noises outside her pod, drowned out by the screams of her own mind. Or… was it?

A cold feeling gripped her chest as she suddenly couldn't breathe. Blood, it was dripping down from her mouth as she lay broken on a scarred battlefield. Flames flickered from the edge of her vision, soot and broken timbers shaping the background. Malicious red eyes burned above her, set in blood-streaked bone mask. Claws of death littered blow upon blow on her body, eliciting gasps of pain. Her eyes glazed over as three completely foreign but familiar names flitted through her mind.

 _My team... I hope they... made it out alive..._ She thought. In the distance, the sound of a gunshot could be heard. Her eyes cracked open to see a figure clad in an empty white mask standing above her. With a final, shaking breath, the world faded from her.

Laura's eyes snapped open, arising from the vivid vision with a hoarse scream. A bout of panic overtook her as frantic eyes failed to recognize where she was. Complicated machines. Fluorescent lights. A pod she was sitting in, with a large crack in the now-raised glass dome. Four blurry people that stood in front of her.

Her chest heaved heavily with each breath. She was just there. That battlefield, out in the wilderness. In, in where? Anima? She felt another panic attack coming on as she struggled to remember.

Hands settled around her shoulders. Brown eyes came into focus, looking steadily into hers. They were wide with worry.

"Laura! Laura, calm down. Calm. Down." A voice gently nudged. The girl guided her back to sitting. Laura hadn't even realized she had stood up and got off the pod.

Slowly, her breathing returned to normal, eyes locked onto the girl's. The girl. Her partner. Her partner was Naven. No. It was- it was… She searched her mind desperately for a name.

"Malina!" She gasped out. Malina nodded, her eyes still wide with fright.

"Are you okay? You- you were screaming, and then you started to hit the glass, and then the General told us your vitals peeked MIA, and oh god, are you okay?"

Laura's mind spun from the onslaught of questions. A dizziness hit her with force of a truck, and with it came the sudden feeling of pain. Her right hand throbbed dully, and there were four little slits from where her fingernails had clutched so hard they had broken skin. Her throat felt dry and hoarse. Her limbs and muscles ached terribly. For some reason, her aura wasn't working.

Why wasn't her aura working?

She put a hand to her forehead as the dizziness nearly made her fall over. Laura was shaking. Beyond the single familiar face in front of her, everything else was dull and muted.

Something else touched her shoulder and she immediately spun around, batting them away with her wings in her panic. _Wha- wings?_ Someone stumbled to the ground, letting out a muffled yelp. Laura's shoulder's heaved with the fresh bout of panic. These people were familiar. She should know them. Her team. Her team was Team DMNT. Team Diamond. But they weren't Team DMNT.

She… she couldn't remember much else. Her head was a jumbled mess of thoughts, and her body still ached all over.

Something pricked her skin. Hardly a moment later, she had thrown whoever it was off with a snarl. The world spun with her, and she nearly tripped over the steps they had been sitting on. Just barely, she could see someone new holding something in their hand. A needle...?

* * *

"Her blood pressure is stabilizing. Poor girl went through a lot in there." The nurse informed the general. "If you don't mind, sir, might I ask why you chose to put the soul of someone who'd just about died, so horrifically, I might add, into someone so innocent as her?" The general sighed.

"They can learn a lot from each other. Their experiences." Ironwood replied solemnly. "One of them's seen the world at its worst, the other at its best. They both need this. We all need this."

"Have you checked on the others?"

"Yes. They're stabilizing as well. They seemed to take the physical aspect better than she did, but mentally, they took the same toll."

"Why are you waiting in here, then?"

"Laura underwent the procedure first, and she'll be the first to awaken." Ironwood said, looking towards the Faunus. "I want to be here when she does."

"Of course, sir."

* * *

 _Wh-what is this... this feeling..._

 _Like there's someone in my head..._

 _Who... who are you?_

 _I could ask the same thing about you... what's going on?_

 _I... don't know._ Laura searched her head for an answer, as did the other voice.

 _Well, whoever you are, my name's Meadow._

 _Laura. It's a pleasure to meet you._

 _The pleasure's all mine, assuming you aren't a parasite._

 _Don't worry, I'm not. I'm just..._ It was then that Laura remembered. _Of course! The procedure!_

 _I beg your pardon?_

 _The Atlas Academy scientists found a way to transfer aura from one person to another. When you were dying, they must have extracted your aura and stored it. Then they used that procedure to give it to me!_

 _I don't remember that... but then again, that doesn't mean it didn't happen. So, that means..._

 _That you and I..._

 _share a body..._

 _That's... incredible._

 _So, I get a second chance? At life, at everything?_

 _Well, from what the scientists can guess, I'll still have all of the physical control, but don't worry, I'll make sure you're happy as well._

 _I'm- WE'RE, still a huntress, right?_

 _In training. Is that a problem?_

 _Oh, no, not at all. I always missed my glory days at Beacon. Was a shame when it fell._

 _Yeah. My sister went there._

 _What's her name?_

 _Lavender._

 _...Thrush?_

 _Yes! Did you know her?_

 _Of course! She was two years down from me, but we were still best friends! How is she?_

 _She's at Beacon, helping with the clean up. Once that's done, though, she'll be here, too! Maybe I could relay what you- oh._

 _What's wrong?_

 _The procedure's top secret. You won't really be able to talk to anyone but my teammates and the general. I'm so sorry._

 _Don't be. What's your team like?_

 _Well, it's Team LuMiNesCent. L, M, N, C._

 _So, you're the leader?_

 _Yeah. Not quite comfortable with it, though..._

 _Well, I wasn't a leader myself, but if you need some help, I remember that Dandelion did a pretty good job, so I might tell you to do what she did sometimes._

 _That would be great!_

 _So, who all are you leading?_

 _Malina, Nyan, and Conáilte._

 _General description of each?_

 _Malina's smart and nice, Nyan's hyper and brave, and Conáilte... I don't really know how to describe him, come to think of it._

 _How long have you been a team?_

 _Initiation was yesterday._

 _Alright, so you don't have to really know him quite yet. Have you been in any classes yet?_

 _No, not yet. We start later today._

 _...Would it be cheating if I gave you some of the answers?_

 _Probably._

 _Technically, you don't have any writing or communication device on you as you realize the answer..._

 _Meadow, I'll be fine. I got in, didn't I?_

 _Alright, but I'd be happy to give you some help if you need it._

 _Thank you. I can't wait to get out there with you 'by my side!'_

 _Neither can I!_

"Miss Thrush?" The general asked as the faunus stirred. The bright lights pained the girl's eyes as she started to wake up, causing her to shudder. Her eyes slowly opened, the figure before her becoming less and less of a blur. "I'm glad to see you're awake. How are you feeling?" The general paused for a moment before adding, "Both of you."

"Meadow and I are fine." Laura said with a smile. "Why did you knock me out?" Laura asked, remembering the needle.

"Well, Miss Thrush, you were suffering from temporary amnesia, and your body needed to stop fighting the foreign aura. The only way that could be achieved was by inducing an unconscious state. You seem to be doing much better now."

"Thank you." Laura looked at her arms, noticing multiple puncture wounds, as if she'd received a dozen shots. "How long before my- OUR, auras, heal this?"

"Well, your aura wasn't working before, due to the aforementioned rejection by your body. However, now that that's been taken care of, it should be no more than half an hour."

"Do I have to stay here until they're gone?"

"Unfortunately, yes. People will become curious if they see multiple students with a dozen shots on their arms."

"Of course, sir." It was then that Laura's eyes widened. "My team! How are they? Have they gone through the procedure yet?"

"Yes. You'll be glad to know that they all took the physical aspect of the procedure better than we'd dared hope. They're still unconscious, and Malina should be the next to wake up in a few minutes." The general smiled. "Take some time to relax. You both deserve it." The general said as he turned to leave the room.

"Thank you, sir." Laura said as she sat back on her cot and stared at the ceiling.

* * *

"Sir?" A nurse asked as Ironwood stepped out of Malina's room. "Something's... weird."

"Besides students with two auras?" Ironwood asked with a smile.

"Well, Conáilte's already up. We used the same dosage as the others..."

"Hm. Very well. Thank you for telling me." The general said, walking in the direction of Conáilte's room. As he left, the nurse entered Malina's.

"Hello, Miss Aulnoy. How are you two feeling?"

"I'm fine, thank you. Bell's a little bit hyper." The nurse smiled.

"She always was."

"That's what Ironwood said, too."

"Well, we chose you to get her aura because of your patience. Anybody else on your team would lose their mind, sharing it with her. I'm glad you can get along."

"Thank you. Am I looking good from a physical standpoint?"

"Well, you look as pretty as ever."

"As much as I enjoy the compliments, that's not what I was asking about."

"Of course, I know. All of your vitals are normal."

"Thank you. By the way, this procedure is confidential, correct?"

"Yes. Why do you ask?"

"Is my father to be made aware of this?" The nurse shook her head.

"No. This is a matter for the school's science branch, the General, and a few instructors. Your father might work for Atlas, but he doesn't have the clearance for this."

"Understood. Is Laura OK?"

"Yes, she is. Nyan's still unconscious, and Conáilte woke up sooner than we'd anticipated. Aside from that, everything is as planned."

"Is he OK?" The nurse nodded.

"Yes, thankfully. He and his 'second' have gotten along decently. It was more likely a matter of his physiology that made the anesthetic less effective."

"Of course. Tell him and Laura I said hello, and tell Nyan as well once she's awake." Malina smiled.

"You can tell them yourself once she wakes up. According to our numbers, she should be up and moving in no more than ten minutes." The nurse said, looking at a clipboard. "In the meantime, I'll let the two of you rest. My apologies for intruding."

"It's no problem. Thank you." Malina replied as the nurse left.

 _Yay, now it's just us again!_

 _You know, if you wanted to tell her something, I could have relayed a message to her._

 _Yeah, but I just want to talk to you!_

 _About?_

 _I don't know! Say, what kind of TV are you into?_

* * *

 _… What does he want with us NOW?_

 _Bess, please…_

 _I mean, seriously, he just comes in and interrogates us literally right after you woke up, and now he wants us to get up and walking ALREADY? Can't a gal get a break around here?_

Conáilte could feel his briefly-alleviated headache come back with a vengeance. He never thought he'd miss silence so much. _Bess-_

 _I didn't go through with this just to be ordered around like one of your Atlas soldiers. I am a Huntress, I deser-_

 _For the love of everything, can you PLEASE just shut up for one minute?_

 _… well it's not like I'm doing it on purpose. We kind of share a mind now._

Conáilte stifled a sigh and settled for rubbing his temples instead. This new aura, person-in-your-mind thing was still a little odd getting used to, but he hadn't thought it would be like... this. This Bess person, well, she liked to complain. It was fine when they had woken up; he found they actually had some things in common. But when Bess realized they were in Atlas, well, her contempt was still fresh in his mind. Literally. He could feel those foreign emotions adding to his miniature soon-to-be migraine.

Maybe if she were actually physical and not stuck in his mind, he could have tolerated her, but having to listen to her every complaint about everything Atlas?

Conáilte was sure he wouldn't survive the next week, if only because he'd let himself be mauled by a Grimm.

 _Hey now, I heard that! Don't go dying on me now, it's hardly been a few hours._

 _Well I'm really starting to-_

Conáilte abruptly cut the thought off when he realized everyone had stopped. The General had led them to a large room, immaculate and white in true Atlesian style. A large, marble desk took up the center of the room, a blue carpet trailing up to it. Pennants and tapestries hung on the walls, no doubt of great achievements of the past. Such decor made it immediately apparent that they were in the General's office, or rather, one of them, which seemingly had been built adjacent to the bunker.

 _Smart, he's got an office at the top and bottom._

The General himself turned to face them.

"Team LMNC. Each of you have chosen to undertake this process. Each of you now carries the soul of a former Huntsman, and with it a grave responsibility."

Out of the corner of his eye, Conáilte saw the other members of his team shake with nervous anticipation. Or maybe just excitement in that insane partner of his. Who knew what went on in her mind?

"Each of you now possess more power than many people could ever hope to imagine. It is your duty to control and use this power to better our future."

 _God, old man, get to the point…_

"However, for now, I'd suggest you get used to walking around again. Especially those of you not fully in control."

 _Oh, great. Now he's talking directly to us, but sure, we can respond! ... Wait a second... he can't hear me! I GET TO DISS THE GENERAL AS MUCH AS I WANT!_

"Feel free to explore the bunker while we wait for those marks on your arms to heal, and ask the scientists any questions you may have, provided of course the answers aren't classified."

 _Yeah, I have some classified answers for YOU! You absolute-_

 _Bess! Life is suffering, but THIS is well beyond that!_

 _Not my fault you have a soft spot for the General!_

 _Not my fault I have a soft spot in my neck. Just soft enough for-_

 _Okay, I get the point! Geez._

The team mostly left the General's office, heading separate directions as they started to explore. Malina, however, walked back into the office.

"General Ironwood, sir? May I... have a word with you, for just a moment?"

"Miss Aulnoy? Do you have a question for me?"

"No, sir. I may... have some information." The general raised an eyebrow, shifting back in his seat.

"Go on."

"During our assault on the factory, I overheard some White Fang grunts."

"Did they share any information regarding their future plans?"

"Not that I heard." Malina shook her head.

"So, what DID you hear?"

"Well, sir, to paraphrase, 'I wonder what else we'll find here.'" The general's face changed from slightly confused to contemplative, sitting forward in his chair once again.

"So, you don't believe the factory belonged to the White Fang."

"Not originally, no, sir."

"The factory was not property of Atlas." The General stood up now, walking to the front of his desk. Malina resisted the urge to take a step back as she responded.

"I could tell, sir. It was structurally sound, generally speaking, but not to the same degree as an Atlas building."

"So, you believe someone else built the factory, and the White Fang took it over?"

"That sounds correct. I copied the files on their system, and sent them to my father to decrypt." The general frowned.

"While I would have preferred you send them to the Military Intelligence Division..."

"Of course, my apologies."

"... Your father should be able to do the job quite well. Report back to me with any information he finds."

"Yes, sir. I still don't understand, however, who could have built those giant machines..." The General paused for a moment before responding, contemplating the nature of the information he was sharing in return.

"I received some reports of seismic activity in the area, following the factory's destruction. Do you think the White Fang built mechs after taking over the base?"

"I don't recall seeing their emblem on the machines. The machines may have been there before they were." The general turned away, pondering for a moment.

"With no White Fang insignia, anyone who comes across one of them may mistake them for Atlas."

"Riots would start within the hour, and the unrest could have disastrous consequences. That's forgetting to mention the damage caused by the mechs themselves." Malina noted, now more worried herself. The General turned back towards the brunette.

"Thank you for the information, Miss Aulnoy. I'll send a recon team to collect information on the mechs' locations. We may need to give your team a field test."

"Yes, sir. I will inform my team." The General thought for a moment.

"No, not yet. If needs be, I will be the one to brief them."

"Understood. Permission to join my team?"

"Granted." Malina left the office once again as General Ironwood sighed.

 _So much for the 'calm before the storm...'_

* * *

After the wounds on their arms had healed, team LMNC was free to leave the bunker. The four returned to their dorm, and Nyan once again plopped onto her bed.

"Don't get too comfortable. We've still got class in a few hours." Conáilte chided.

"Conáilte's right. But I forgot to ask you all, do you know your secondary semblances?"

"Yeah."

"Yup."

"Uh, nope."

"Alright, so me and Nyan don't know ours. How did you guys figure out yours?"

"We asked." Conáilte responded bluntly. "I've basically got 'reserve strength' that'll let me hit faster and harder for a bit. Malina's got a 'hard read', but only on a single opponent at a time. I also asked about Nyan's, and already thought of at least a quarter dozen uses."

"Whoa, how many is that?" Nyan asked, wide-eyed.

"Three." Malina answered, bursting Conáilte and Nyan's bubbles.

"So, wait, what is my second semblance?"

"Well, figure it out when you get a chance. You should have asked them yourself."

"Conáilte, just tell her."

"Why? It's completely her fault she doesn't know, and this is the perfect opportunity to teach her to take some responsibility for herself."

"Conáilte, that's just mean!" Laura scolded.

"Can't say I agree with his methods, but he has a point." Malina admitted. "Though, she could just ask her second."

"Oh, crap, you're right." Nyan shook her head.

"He won't tell me."

"Well, tell him I said to tell you." Laura responded.

"He's still saying no." Nyan shook her head and smiled. "Never mind, let's just forget about it for now. We have to get ready for class!" The rest of the team raised an eyebrow each as Nyan started to get ready, but soon followed suit.

* * *

Several other combat teams trickled into the classroom as the clock struck eight. The members of team LMNC sat in several different spots, Conáilte in the back, Malina in the front, and Laura and Nyan in the middle, one at each third. The professor waited for a moment, to allow everyone to take a seat before starting.

"Welcome, everyone, to your first period class. I am Professor Sininen, and I will be your teacher in this class. For any of you who are somehow unaware of what this class is, precisely, it is Aura Management and Conservation. In this class, you will learn how to use your aura to its greatest potential, and become more capable of surviving a far greater array of attacks against people and Grimm."

"Now, many of you may be wondering: how, exactly, can we increase the value of our aura? Is it not a set amount that, once depleted, requires time to recharge? My answer is this: one's aura can be a set amount, but that amount can be increased, and the aura managed in such a way as to achieve maximum value. That is precisely what you will learn over the course of this year. Now, if you would all open your textbooks to page 3." As the students opened their books, they heard a knock at the door. "Come in." One of the school staff entered the room.

"I'm sorry, but a few of the students in your class have been summoned to the General's office."

"Oh? On the first day? And who would they be?"

"Miss Laura Thrush, Malina Aulnoy, Nyan Zaffre, and Mister Conáilte Laoch, professor."

"Four students? Almost a record. Very well. You four, you heard her. We'll have a make-up later, so don't think you've gotten out of class just yet."

The four looked to each other as they stood up and left the room.

"Any idea what's going on?" Laura asked Conáilte as they went along.

"No. I'm not aware of anything we did wrong." the boy replied.

"I might have an idea." Malina piped up. "I can't say I know for certain, though."

"Nyan's uncharacteristically silent." Conáilte noted. "What have you done?"

"Hey, don't blame her! She probably didn't even do anything!"

The four arrived at the General's office, almost identical to the one in the bunker save the addition of a large window, and the door closed behind them. The general was the first to speak.

"Don't worry, you're not in trouble. Well, one of you is, but not all of you." Everyone turned to Nyan as the general continued. "Miss Aulnoy briefed me a small amount on the mechs that emerged from the factory yesterday, which, for simplification, we are presently designating as 'Centaurs.' One such Centaur has been reported near Grauerstein. I'm sending the four of you to the area. You will observe the Centaur and its capabilities primarily, but if you have a chance, destroy it. Miss Thrush, I will be giving you temporary authority to call in airborne fighter units, should their services be required." Laura nodded. "I trust you will all perform admirably, though understand that may require some preparation. I will grant you one hour and no more. This is top priority, and many lives could be in your hands. Understood?"

"Yes, sir!" The four sounded off.

 _Oh, so now he's making us do the dirty work._

 _Shut UP, Bess._

* * *

"Hey, Laura." Conáilte approached his leader as the team arrived at the dorm.

"Yes?"

"I was wondering if you could help me with a weapon real fast."

"Oh! What did you have in mind?"

"Well, it's less a weapon and more a thing to use in conjunction with it."

"That being?"

"A holster, but with an automatic reload." Laura raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, when I bring the gun to the right spot, it'll put in a new mag. Hands-free reloading- well, one handed, I suppose, but you get the idea." Laura nodded.

"Alright, I see what you mean. We better hurry though." The two made their way to the school's Fabrication Center, one running and the other flying.

It took Laura thirty minutes, five of which were spent adding an additional holster for a second pistol Conáilte had somehow acquired. Upon completion, it had a place for two combat knives, which Conáilte had bought as Laura had worked on the reloading mechanism; two pistols; and multiple magazines for each. Conáilte unloaded a clip at a target, and brought the gun his hip, releasing the magazine as it fell. The holster did the rest, putting a new magazine into the pistol and chambering a shot.

"Alright, that works. Thanks!"

"Any time! I'll go check on Malina and Nyan, see if they're ready yet."

"Yeah, I'll come too. Don't have any prep left to do myself."

The two headed back to the dorm, the two others turning to them as they entered.

"Where did you and Conáilte go?" Nyan asked the team leader, shining Comet to perfection.

"I helped him make a holster for his gun. Er, guns, now." Laura replied.

"Oh, that's right!" Malina remembered. "Can you help me modify mine once we get back?"

"Of course!" Laura beamed.

 _Look at us, being all helpful! We've got to be the nicest leader ever!_ Meadow 'said' with pride.

 _Yeah! Hopefully we're as good in combat as we are out of it..._

 _Relax, you'll be fine! Just don't do anything too big. If it looks bad, don't be afraid to pull them out._

 _Are you okay?_

 _Me? Of course! Why do you ask?_

 _Well..._

 _...Okay, you got me. Look, my team thought we were ready for the big mission. Just... don't make the same mistake we did and keep fighting, OK?_

 _...Okay._

 _Promise?_

 _Promise._

Laura finished gathering her things, Malina and Nyan having done the same, with Conáilte standing in the doorway. Laura took a deep breath.

"Alright. Team LMNC?" She looked to her teammates and smiled. "Let's go."

* * *

The dropship arrived at its destination 30 minutes later, and hovered a few feet above the ground in a clearing as team LMNC jumped out. The dropship flew away the second their feet touched the ground.

 _Geez, even their pilots don't want to be here. Bunch of wimps._

 _Bess._

 _What? It's true._

The boy rolled his eyes as he and three others walked towards the town, or at least where it had been on the map.

The team stopped as they saw what had taken its place.

One wouldn't have been able to tell there had been structures here without the occasional piece of debris. The cement that formed the ground was charred and broken, and on one of what few surfaces did remain, one could make out an ash silhouette, appearing as if trying to shield its face. What once had been the most populated town outside of the kingdom had become a desolation, surrounded by mountains on all sides. Laura's hand covered her mouth as her team looked on.

"Should we search for survivors?" Malina asked.

"No point." Conáilte replied. "Place's almost as flat as Nyan. If there were any survivors, we'd see them."

"So, what do we do?" The motorcyclist inquired.

"Same thing we were supposed to do before. Observe the capabilities. And I think they've been decently well-observed."

"Hold on. There are some empty flood canals within the town. Someone might've taken refuge there." Malina noted.

"Alright, the three of us will search those. Laura, get some height. If the Centaur's coming back, let us know." Laura nodded and took to the sky.

"See you both at the canal!" Nyan yelled as she sped off on her motorcycle.

"Think we're going to find anyone?" Conáilte asked as the two started towards the town.

"To be quite honest, I'm not expecting to."

"Me neither. Hope Laura finds what she's looking for, though." Malina nodded as they reached the bottom of the hill and began their search.

* * *

 _Are you seeing anybody down there?_

 _No. Everyone's just... gone. What could have done this?_

 _I know it's one or more of the Centaurs we saw. I thought they were just really durable mobile bases..._

 _Looks like there's a bit more to them than that._

 _I just hope it took all four to do this._

 _Same here. If one of them could do this, imagine if they grouped up!_ The shared thought scared both of them as they both continued searching from above, their eyes in the same place but their focus separate.

 _There!_ Laura mentally shouted as she spotted a man waving both of his arms. She landed near him, and he rushed to her.

"A huntress! Are you a huntress?!" He asked, his voice filled with panic.

"In training, sir, but I'll do what I can. What happened here?" The man put his hands to his face.

"Well, this giant robot- it had to have been 50 yards tall at least- came over the mountain, and this light came out of it! It looked like it was scanning the town, but everything just exploded out of nowhere right after! I got into my bunker, but I don't think anyone else was so lucky."

"Alright, sir, please calm down..." Laura said with a soothing voice. "We'll get you to Atlas, and see if we can't find anyone else."

"Thank goodness... thank you."

"I'd recommend staying here. This looks like a good rendezvous point for all of the other survivors."

"Of course, of course!" The man said as Laura sent her team the same message.

"Alright, sir, can you get back in the shelter while I go look for more survivors?"

"Y-yes..." the man responded. Once he was inside, Laura took to the sky again.

 _Laura!_

 _Yes, Meadow?_

 _Do you hear_ _that?!_ Laura listened for a moment. And what she heard sent a chill down her spine.

It was footsteps. Loud footsteps.

Mechanical footsteps.

"Guys!" Laura said as she put her scroll to her face. "Are you all hearing what I'm hearing?!"

"Hard not to. How's the weather up there, by the way?"

"I hear it too. I don't know why they'd come back though, there's nothing here!" Nyan shouted into her scroll.

"They must want to admire their work. Or they're headed somewhere else." Malina said. "One town gone, Atlas can still clean up and remain in semi-good graces with the public. Two, and there's chaos. You heard the General, here's our chance."

 _No, absolutely not._ Meadow wanted to say aloud.

"I don't know guys. Meadow says we shouldn't do it." Laura said nervously.

"If Meadow's going to be a pansy about it, you can take her away from here."

"Conáilte!" Laura shouted, appalled.

"Hey, I sincerely doubt those things are invincible."

"He's right." Malina added. "I don't think they'd waste that beam on a small squad. That puts its main weapon out of commission."

"But the armor on those things looked pretty hard. I don't think anything we have would dent it." Nyan argued.

"Guys! Meadow isn't going to, so neither will I. That means none of us will." Laura metaphorically put her foot down, and would have done so literally had she not been 50 feet off the ground.

"Not necessarily. Just because you're the leader doesn't mean you have to participate in combat. Long as we have our scrolls, you can give us tips."

"Conáilte, I said no."

"Laura, I said I don't care."

"Come on, guys! Do you think we can take it down?" Nyan asked.

"Yes, and we'll look cool doing it." Conáilte said, knowing he'd strike a nerve.

"I'm in!" Nyan shouted.

"So am I. Now the question is how we do it." Malina commented.

"The only question is why you guys aren't listening!"

"Because your request that Meadow stays out of it and our request to take it down aren't mutually exclusive." Conáilte shot her down.

 _I'm sure we can figure something out..._ Bess added. _We might not need her at all._

 _Laura, figure something out!_ Meadow begged.

"Guys, please-" Laura's mouth hung open as she was disconnected from the call.

"Alright, how are we going about this?" Nyan asked.

"I've got an idea. You guys see that mountain it's going to pass by?"

"Yes."

"Yeah!"

"Meet me there, I've got a plan." Conáilte said, before hanging up and breaking into a sprint.

 _Maybe Laura and Meadow will join us?_

 _Doubt it. She seemed really intent on not doing this._ Conáilte sighed. _I really wish she could've convinced us, honestly._

 _I guess we'll have to do. Your plan's a little scummy, though._

 _Hey, results are results. I just hope she can do it._

 _I'd cross my fingers if I were in charge of them._

 _Don't worry, my luck's not THAT bad._ Conáilte kept running for the mountain, noticing Malina and Nyan already there. The footsteps were louder than before, and from what he could tell, the thing was coming straight for them.

 _If this works, Laura's never going to hear the end of it._

 _Come on, don't be like that. I'm gonna be happy if we even slow it down._

 _Don't worry, we will._

 _Well, we better. If she doesn't do it, we're all basically_ _dead._ The boy smiled as he crossed the bridge at the mountain's base.

 _Let's not keep the devil waiting, then._

* * *

Malina rested on one knee, scanning the area through her weapon's scope, when Conáilte arrived at hers and Nyan's location. They could still hear the machine marching towards them, pebbles nearby bouncing as it took each step. The town's natural barriers had failed it, and it appeared they would do so again as the Centaur came over one of the mountains. As it practically jumped down to level ground, Malina and Nyan got their first good looks at the tank.

It was a steel grey color, and Malina could see that the legs were connected to almost separate bodies on either side of the main one. The legs themselves were wide as viewed from the front, but very thin as viewed from the side, creating blades that split the earth with every move.

The most notable feature, however, was the main weapon of the vehicle. It was carried by multiple supports on top of the vehicle, and was as wide as the main body of the vehicle. A joint manifested itself near the cannon, allowing it to swivel upwards and downwards, clearly designed to destroy a whole line of buildings with one firing. In addition, she saw a large laser weapon near the front, as if the vehicle didn't have firepower enough. All of that was, of course, neglecting to mention the sheer size of the thing, which Malina eyeballed to be about 50 yards even without the weapon or its supports.

The two girls' eyes went wide as they saw what they were up against, as did their leader's from where she was in the sky.

"Alright," Conáilte said, "do either of you have a plan?"

"I didn't know it'd be so big..." Nyan thought aloud.

"If we get on board, we'll have a shot. That exterior's not going to budge from anything we can offer." Malina offered.

"My thoughts exactly. Nyan?" Conáilte turned to his teammate.

"Yeah?" Nyan replied, with renewed awareness of the people beside her.

"This mountain we're on has a natural ramp there, see?" the boy explained, pointing to it. "What I need you to do is go halfway up the mountain, and then come back down and try to make the jump." _Please don't see through it..._

"Got it!" Nyan yelled as she revved the engine. Malina watched the Centaur, still in awe, as Conáilte watched Nyan make a u-turn.

 _This better work._ Bess threatened.

"NYAAAAAAAAAN ZAFFRRRRRRRRRRRRRRE!" Nyan yelled as she raced down the mountain at full speed.

The girl expected to run up the ramp and catch what was arguably the most air she'd ever caught. She would land on the Centaur and find a way in.

That's what she thought the plan was, which was why she was surprised when Conáilte suddenly shot earth dust in front of her tire, causing her to come to a stop.

Her motorcycle, anyway. Nyan continued onward, flying without her weapon towards the tank. She obviously hadn't broken the sound barrier, as she could hear Malina's scream from behind her, but she was moving very quickly nonetheless. Given a little thought, it was almost bliss; flying through the air like she always had, but this time without Comet. Emphasis on almost, as she soon realized what she was going to hit head-on.

Nyan brought her arms up to shield her face, more out of reflex than strategy, preparing for the worst. However, as the inevitable approached; or, rather, she approached the inevitable, she suddenly felt very strange, as if a foreign power had decided to awaken inside of her. She watched as her body became surrounded with a glow, and she became completely paralyzed. _What... is this?_

 _That's_ _me._ A second voice in her head answered. Nyan would have replied, but she mentally flinched as she hit the Centaur.

And continued through it.

Like a bullet through flesh, Nyan went through the Centaur, creating a small hole in her wake. The glow disappeared as she emerged from the other side of the vehicle, though the paralysis remained. Nyan had a mere moment upon regaining movement before she hit the ground, bouncing before hitting it again. She eventually came to a stop, multiple craters in her path. What she'd also left in her path was a Centaur, with a hole through its midsection. While she hadn't hit anything important, she had brought the tank to a temporary stop.

One which Conáilte and Malina took full advantage of.

The team's two brunettes jumped onto Comet to make the jump that Nyan had attempted, jumping off the motorcycle to get a little extra distance as they fell short. Comet fell to the ground, but thankfully had been designed to be incredibly resilient. The two landed on the shoulder of the vehicle, and started to climb down to the hole their teammate had created as it began moving again.

"You're LUCKY she used her secondary semblance there. What even was that?"

"Momentum. If she's moving, nothing can stop her, and if she isn't, she stops everything. She IS paralyzed when she uses it, though, but not for terribly long."

"Okay, but you still lied to her."

"Something I'll teach Laura how to do. Though, now I think about it, I didn't tell her nothing would stop her. I told her to try, and she did, and I made her fail for the sake of stopping this thing for a second." Malina groaned internally as she realized he was correct.

The two arrived at the hole, and Malina stood by the opening, ready to breach.

"They definitely have interior defenses, people or not. Go in three. One, two, three!" The two jumped in through the hole, aiming their weapons in separate directions. As if on cue, two panels in the roof opened up, dropping a dozen robotic sentries. They looked similar to the Knight-130s, though slightly more bulky in design. They raised their arms, revealing machine guns, and began to fire.

Malina leapt behind a pillar along the wall, and fired at the robots on her side. Each went down in two or three shots, thankfully, and she took down six before needing to reload. Conáilte began firing with the gun in his right hand, taking down four before the clip was empty. As the magazine fell to the ground, he raised his left pistol, taking down another four before switching back to the now-reloaded pistol in his right hand. With the first two dozen robots down, Malina and Conáilte took a second, just to make sure no others were coming immediately after.

"They might be proximity-activated." Malina theorized. "I don't think there are any people on this thing, and with no one on board but them, anything alive is a target."

"Robots, lovely. Because I wasn't hoping to be able to use my primary semblance."

"Why weren't you?"

"Sarcasm."

"Oh. So, your semblance doesn't work on robots?"

"No, only people and Grimm. I can touch memory, but not a memory card."

"Well, then you'll have to be a bit more careful than usual."

"Don't worry. My semblance is an add-on to skill, not a substitute. I can do decently enough without it. Wish I could say the same for Laura."

"Hey, you should have seen her in the forest. She was mostly using her sword."

"Yeah, she's talented, but her semblance is her most powerful source of damage. I've had to learn how to fight when I can't utilize my semblance, and I'll try to teach her the same." Conáilte started walking down the hall. "Come on, let's go find what makes this thing tick." Malina reloaded her rifle and followed the boy.

* * *

Laura wasn't stupid.

She knew the Centaur had to be taken down. Meadow knew it, too. But so had he, that man in the white mask.

 _It wasn't our place. It wasn't our fight to win._

This wasn't their fight to win.

Which was why she'd done the only thing she could think to do.

"Miss Thrush, squadrons 17, 25, and 40, closing in on your position." A voice came over the faunus' scroll.

"Understood." Laura answered shakily.

She had called in backup, of course. There were now thirty fighters coming to their aid.

 _Stay out of it. If anything, the ships would blow you up along with it._

Laura nodded. While Meadow didn't have any experience as a leader, she did have experience as a fighter, and their instincts were telling them no.

That is, until the Centaur suddenly stopped. It was only for a moment, but Laura could hear the sudden lack of movement. That was when she noticed a green and blue blur hit the ground to the vehicle's side.

 _Oh, no..._

Laura flew towards her teammate at top speed, touching down as the stunt devil got on her own feet.

"Nyan!" Laura cried. "What happened?!"

"Something super cool, that's what!" Nyan screamed. "Did you see me, El?!"

"Yes! You scared me! How did you even do that?! Are you okay?"

"I'm okay. For some reason, Conáilte stopped my bike when I was trying to jump, and I flew right at it!"

"Conáilte did this?!"

"Yeah! But it's cool! I used my second semblance!" Laura's eyes went wide.

 _Second semblance? What's she on about?_

 _It's a side effect of the procedure... we have ours and your auras, so we have ours and your semblances, too._

 _Wait, really? That's amazing..._

"How'd you figure out how to use it?" Laura asked.

"I... don't know. It just kinda... came to me." Nyan replied, looking at her arms.

"Well, I'm glad you're okay, but where's your bike?"

"Oh, Comet? Hold on." Nyan smiled as she pressed a button on her helmet.

In the distance, Comet's engine started as it used its kickstand to right itself. It raced towards Nyan, who jumped onto it as the two were about to collide, stopping her weapon with a short drift. Nyan smiled as she turned to her leader. "Here it is."

"Alright, where are Conáilte and Malina?" Laura's wings lowered, and her eyes widened again as she got a pretty good idea of their location. "Oh, dear..."

"Miss Thrush?" A voice came over the faunus' scroll again. "We're here!" Laura froze for a moment before grabbing the device.

"Wait! Don't attack ye-"

"All squadrons! In formation!" The voice yelled again, this time not directed towards LMND's leader. Multiple overlapping 'affirmatives' and 'yes, sirs' soon followed. Laura turned to the sky as the fighters came into view, the front line opening fire on the Centaur.

The large vehicle seemed unaffected by any of the shots, and didn't seem to react to them. It didn't seem to, until its main weapon opened fire. A red light appeared to shine over the fighters, almost as if scanning them. Laura and Nyan were swept off their feet as the fighters spontaneously exploded mere moments later, leaving thin air and thick smoke in their place. Laura picked up her scroll, having lost connection to the call. She fell to her knees as the Centaur continued its march.

* * *

"Whoa!" Conáilte cried as a loud noise shook the mobile battle station. "Do you think that was-"

"Can't have been..." Malina replied, though less sure of herself than usual. "There's no one to use it on, unless..."

"This stupid thing blocks scroll contact!" Conáilte groaned as he attempted to reach Laura.

"It's understandable. If I had something like this, I wouldn't want someone to sneak on and send pictures."

"Then we've got to hurry up and find something." The two left the room they had been in, filled with broken robots, to continue their search for a weakness. Malina entered the next room, which appeared to be an engine room. Large gears could be observed in various places, turning away as the machine marched on.

"Hold on." Malina turned to Conáilte. "Do you think we can stop it here?"

"Not likely. I'm sure the full drive controls are more secure than this. But..."

"But what?"

"Maybe we can slow it down. Force it to shift to a slower gear."

"A few of these gears look like they're part of the primary drive train. We take those out, we might force this thing into secondary drive."

"Will it buy us more time than it takes? This thing might be headed somewhere, and it'd be better if we stop it BEFORE it gets there."

"Most likely. Either way, it's worth a shot."

Conáilte walked over to a large gear.

"This one looks like a 'primary' to me."

"I'd believe it."

"Okay, stand back." Conáilte motioned Malina away. He closed his eyes and took a deep breath.

The sudden surge of power almost made him stumble as he activated his secondary semblance for the first time. Conáilte grabbed the two knives from his holster and began hacking at the gear, which was, unsurprisingly, far more effective than it otherwise would have been. The broken pieces of the gear fell to the ground as Conáilte turned back to his teammate.

"There's one. I can't imagine they'd keep them all in one place, so let's keep looking for the others."

"I think that one's another primary, but after that I'd say we're done here." Malina pointed to another large gear on the other end of the room. Conáilte adjusted his grip on the knives as he walked over to the gear. As he neared it, however, he heard a panel open above him, and rolled to the side as another dozen of the robots dropped onto the spot.

As they raised their weapons, Conáilte, still utilizing his secondary semblance, ran towards them, each knife held in a reverse grip as he began to stab each robot in either a joint or the head. A few fell as he was about to stab them, courtesy of Malina, and after they fell, Conáilte went to the large gear, destroying it as he had the first.

 _So, wait. How long does this last?_

 _Thirty seconds. So you should be coming off it right about... now._ Exactly as Bess said this, Conáilte's strength returned to normal, and he had to prevent from stumbling once again. _Don't worry, you should be able to use it again by the time you find the next gears for the primary drive._

 _Thanks._

 _Thanks for the kudos!_

 _Don't get used to it._

"Alright, let's go search the rest. This thing might be symmetrical, so I'd say we loop around just to see." Malina looked out into the hall. "Still nobody but us and those robots. You think Nyan's going to find a way onto this thing?"

"Have you met her? She'll find another hill and make the jump there. Laura could join us pretty easily, provided there aren't any turrets outside that we don't know about." Conáilte responded as he sheathed the knives.

"Maybe. I still wish she was here."

"Don't worry, I won't let her hear the end of it if she doesn't get on eventually." Malina glared at her teammate as the two left the room, guns drawn.

"Conáilte, she's still your leader. You need to be more supportive."

"I'm going to be supportive by getting on her about the things she does wrong."

"And why's that?"

"Because she's our leader. She needs to be the best she can, and I'm going to make sure she is." The two turned another corner, and prepared themselves as two more panels opened in the roof. Malina was forced to kick at a 170 degree angle as one leapt at her, but the two shot down the rest with the same difficulty as the other groups. "Someone had a bunch of robots lying around." Conáilte commented as he stepped over some parts.

"They're like Atlas, but not quite."

"Now that you mention it, I see the resemblance. Wonder who these people are."

"So you heard it too?"

"I was right above them, of course I heard it."

 _If it's not the Fang, who could it be?_

 _I don't know, Bell. My father's working on it._

 _The sooner the better!_ Malina sighed.

 _I couldn't agree more._

"Hey, Malina, you were right. Place IS symmetrical." Conáilte told his teammate as he entered the second engine room. However, as he entered, the panel in the roof opened immediately, and the two were forced to step to either side of the doorway as the hail of bullets made it impossible to enter. "Figures we do the harder side second. Does your semblance work on them?"

"No, I can't affect robots either. Got a plan?"

"You could say that." Conáilte replied as he pulled a grenade out of his pocket. "Let's see if they know how to deal with these."

The boy peeked into the room, throwing the grenade into the dozen-strong crowd. Seconds later, the explosion had halved their number, and knocked the other half to each side, forming an opening for the two to engage. Malina peered out into the hallway as Conáilte once again activated his second semblance, and after a few moments, both of the primary drive trains in the room were destroyed.

As if on cue, once the fourth gear was destroyed, it felt to Malina that the machine came to a stop. It continued again after a few seconds, but considerably slower.

"That did it. We should have some more time to find the way to shut this down completely."

"Well, let's head back to the opening we made and see if we can't get Laura in here."

"The machine's blocking scroll contact."

"So, step outside. I'll stay inside, just in case the robots aren't just activated by proximity." Malina nodded, and the two started for the opening.

* * *

"Laura?"

"Malina!" Laura answered over her scroll. "Where are you?"

"I'm on the Centaur, just outside. I have an idea, and I need you."

"Malina, I already said no. Didn't you hear what it did to the fighters?"

"Fighters? You called in fighters?"

"Yes! And the Centaur took down thirty in one shot!" Malina was silent for a moment.

"Laura. We need to stop this thing before it destroys anything else." Malina explained calmly. "Please. Me and Conáilte have already cleared out a decent part of it..."

"Meadow said no."

"Then ask her to reconsider." Malina shifted her weight as her tone harshened for a moment.

"Malina, if you can't do it without me, then get out of there. Bring Conáilte with you." Laura tried her best to order, tears coming to her eyes.

"Laura, please..."

"No."

"Laura, Meadow, both of you. We need this thing taken down..."

"I said no!" Laura barked, bursting into tears. "Please, Malina, this isn't our fight to win." She begged between sobs. Malina was silent for a moment.

"Why are you here?" she asked, her voice much calmer than before.

"What?" Laura sniffled.

"Why are you at Atlas?" Malina rephrased.

"To be a huntress-"

"What does a huntress do?" Malina interrupted.

"They help people, but-"

"No 'buts,' Laura. You came here because you wanted to help people. So help us help them." Malina urged calmly.

"I'm sorry, Malina, but I made a promise to Meadow. We won't do anything out of our league..."

"This was out of our league before. What are we now?"

"Malina, please..."

"How will we know what we can do if you don't let us do it? If you won't do it?"

"Malina, Meadow said no!" Laura yelled, her emotion betraying her.

 _Go._ A voice came from Laura's mind.

Laura froze.

 _What?_

 _She's right. That's why we're here. Maybe we lose, but we''ll have a least tried to do the right thing._ Meadow replied somberly.

 _Meadow, we don't have to..._

 _No, Laura. I was wrong. I've been selfish. I've made YOU make a promise to be selfish. But that isn't who you are, so that won't be who I am either. Your team needs us. Forget the promise, we need to do our job._

 _Meadow, it's fi-_

 _No, Laura, it isn't. I was so afraid to die that I... I was willing to let everyone else. What kind of huntress does that make me? What kind of huntress would that have made you?_

 _...I'm sorry._

 _Don't be. I'm the one who should be sorry. Besides, you guys are stronger than we ever were._

Laura sniffled before nodding. "On my way."

Malina smiled. "Thank you, Laura."

* * *

Nyan left the world of her semblance as she arrived at a hilltop. If she knew what the Centaur was doing, it would pass right by here, and she'd be able to jump onto it, this time making it. As the Centaur neared, however, she saw Laura flying towards it.

 _Looks like she finally decided to help out!_

The joy was short-lived, however, as she saw multiple turrets emerge from the top of the battle station, shooting at Laura. It was all her team leader could do to not get hit. As she flew around, simply trying to dodge the fire, Nyan called her scroll, and she grabbed it with her free hand, keeping her attention on the turrets.

"Yes? What is it, Nyan?"

"El! I'm gonna try to jump onto the Centaur, but I'm gonna need the turrets disabled so I don't get shot down! Think you can do that?"

"What?! I'm having trouble enough trying to not get hit!"

"Use the other turrets as cover!" Nyan shouted after a moment of thought. "Fly by them! Maybe the other turrets'll hit them!" Laura took a deep breath.

"Worth a shot..."

Laura descended upon the Centaur, weaving through the sets of turrets and trying her best not to be hit. However, the sounds of explosions behind her confirmed that Nyan's idea was working. Laura made another run, just to weaken the defense even more, before landing in the opening Nyan had created earlier.

"Can you get on now?"

"Let's see!" Nyan put the scroll in her back pocket, the call continuing as she revved her motorcycle. "NYYAAAAAAN ZAAAAFFFRRRRRRRE!" The girl yelled as she sped along the hillside. Thanks to lack of resistance, she landed cleanly on the shoulder of the vehicle, and found her way into the opening.

"Nyan!" Laura ran to her teammate, giving her a hug as she dismounted the motorcycle. She then turned to her other teammates. "Did you two find anything?"

"We found and destroyed the primary drive train. The Centaur should be moving more slowly now." Laura nodded.

"I saw it slow down. Did you find out how to destroy it?"

"Not yet."

"Well, let's get looking then!" Nyan yelled, remounting her motorcycle and racing down the hall.

"Nyan, wait!" Malina called after her teammate. "She's going to trip all the defenses!"

"What kind of defenses?"

"The robot kind. Nyan doesn't know that, though."

"I'm going after her! You two just look for this thing's weakness!" Laura ordered as she flew after Nyan.

* * *

 _Maybe she doesn't need as much help as I thought._

Laura kept flying past piles of robotic debris, a clear trail showing where Nyan had been. When Laura had finally caught up to her, she was busy fighting even more robots, the last one falling just as Laura drew her weapon.

"Nyan!" Laura scolded. "You need to come back and stay with us!"

"Why? Isn't this helping?"

"Maybe, and even if it is, it's not the kind we need right now! What we need is to find out how to destroy this thing!"

"Well, you guys can do that. This is more fun!"

"Nyan, please."

"Why? Can't a girl have fun and beat some tin cans while you figure out which buttons to push?"

"Nyan!" The team leader yelled. Nyan, rather than responding, continued to ride down the hall, and Laura took flight to catch up once again.

As the two entered a room, they were suddenly knocked back as a new robot emerged from the ceiling. It differed from all the rest, being much larger in size- ten feet if Laura was a good judge of height- and much bulkier. It lacked the machine guns of the rest, but it did possess one hand, and for the other arm, what appeared to be a cannon. As it lifted the right arm, a chamber near the back of the cannon spun in place, locking in as the weapon fired a blast of lightning dust at the two.

Laura, though restricted in her flight due to being indoors, managed to avoid the blast with a quick burst of thrust, and Nyan rolled out of the way, bringing her motorcycle with her. The green-haired girl remounted her motorcycle and raced towards the automaton, as Laura landed to its right. Nyan swung her motorcycle at the robot, expecting similar results as when she had done so to other robots. However, the sentry raised its hand, catching the attack as it readied its weapon.

Before the machine could fire, a loud noise emanated from between itself and Nyan, moving the gun out of position while simultaneously sending Nyan backwards, causing the shot to miss once again. The robot turned to see Laura flying directly at it, Golden Fellwing in its khopesh form. As the strike made contact, however, a blue force field became visible near the point of contact. Laura hardly had time to gasp before the robot, having freed its left hand by dropping Comet, grabbed her by the head and threw her into the opposite wall. Laura tried to use her wings to generate thrust contrary to the throw, but could only slow herself down as much, and fell to the ground after contact.

"Hey!" Nyan yelled, having remounted her bike. She charged at the robot, which in turn placed its hand to stop the bike by its tire. However, as the hand stopped the bike, Nyan flew off it, grabbing the robot's gun arm and swinging behind the robot. As she swung towards the robot's back, she let go of its arm, and her secondary semblance activated once again. Instead of going through the robot, however, she knocked it to the ground as she kept moving towards the wall, her semblance deactivating just before she made contact. Laura flew over to her teammate.

"Nyan! Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, but my second semblance isn't tearing a hole in that robot like it did in the big one!" Laura thought for a quick moment.

"Maybe it needs to be more stable!"

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, have you tried putting a pin through a piece of paper dangling in mid-air?"

"So, we need something on the other side." Nyan thought as the robot stood up. "But it looks like it's just staying in the center of the room! How are we gonna get it to the wall?"

"Maybe we don't need the wall, just a force in the opposite direction!"

"Like your semblance!" The two avoided another blast from the robot's laser, their opponent thankfully lacking the ability to hear their plans.

"You get some speed, and I'll push it the other way!" Laura prepared herself as Nyan raced towards the robot once more. As the bike was stopped, and Nyan's body covered in a glow once more, Laura created a sizable noise behind the automaton. The hard-light dust was unable to stop Nyan as she pierced through the machine's main body, causing it to fall behind her, deactivated. Laura looked at the broken robot before looking to Nyan.

"Nyan, this is why we need to stick together! You couldn't have handled this on your own!" Nyan rolled her eyes.

"Sorry, Laura." The team leader sighed before turning her attention to the wall behind the motorcyclist.

"Wait, Nyan, is that...?"

"Looks like the power source!"

It was then that Malina entered the room, continuing her search for exactly that.

"Malina, I think we found it!"

"That's great! I'll go get Conáilte." Malina peered out into the hall, waving down the fourth team member. As Conáilte entered the room, Malina examined the power source.

"Well, do you see a way to destroy it?" Laura asked her partner.

"Well, that's the thing. There's a hard-light shield protecting the power core. I'm thinking maybe your semblance could do it."

"Alright, what do you need me for?" Nyan pouted.

"We need you for transport." Conáilte replied bluntly. "Laura might be able to carry one of us- Malina, specifically, she's lighter- but not two. That's where you and Comet come in. Speaking of, where's your bike?" Nyan pressed the button on her helmet, recalling the motorcycle.

"Alright. Once they're ready, could you use your semblance on the other side of the shield?" Laura nodded.

"I think so. We'll have to get out quickly, though."

"That's what you and Nyan are for." Conáilte mounted the passenger seat before turning to Laura. "Alright, whenever you're ready."

The team leader closed her eyes and inhaled deeply. With a sharp exhale, she used her semblance to its farthest extent. The translucence of the barrier made her less able to make as powerful sounds as normal, requiring the most of her to make her capable of doing the job.

The noise she created inside of the room was one that she remembered from when she was young; it was a sound that could activate dust crystals, one which she'd only occasionally used to turn the enemy's weapons against them. In this scenario, however, what happened instead a chain reaction.

As the dust started to rupture one shard at a time, Comet and its riders disappeared into the world of Nyan's semblance, as Laura grabbed Malina by her arms and flew out of the room. She escaped through the opening, and was barely ten yards away from the Centaur before an explosion rocked the earth, blasting the two of them away. Despite her vertigo, Laura kept hold of her partner as they collided with one of the many mountains in the area.

Laura's vision was a blur, before being replaced by sudden black.

* * *

"Master Rosso, sir?"

"Yes, Mr. Persimmon?"

"Are you aware of the fate of one of our mechs?"

"Please, Mr. Persimmon, Atlas is referring to them as 'Centaurs.' Quite nice, I must admit. But yes, I am aware. Team LuMiNesCent, I believe."

"Camera footage suggests so, sir. Are we considering retaliation now?" Grigio was silent for a moment.

"No. Quite the contrary." Mr. Rosso examined the camera footage once more, specifically the green-haired girl, noticing her hand twitch on the handlebars of her vehicle occasionally. "Keep notes on their locations." Grigio turned to his elder. "We may have a use for them yet."

* * *

 **Alright, chapter two done! For those of you keeping score, we didn't get to this point in the last version until chapter 5! Look at us go! Mew Shadowfang wrote the procedure scene, as before, as well as other scenes near the beginning of the chapter. I hope this version of the Centaur mission was more action-packed and overall well-executed! I also didn't do an intro for this chapter, and may not for future ones. If I do one for a future chapter, I suppose I'll have to revisit this one and give it one for consistency.**

 **Also, the bigger robot that Laura and Nyan fight is supposed to look like a smaller version of Cordovin's mech. Hopefully that was decently clear.**

 **Anyway, thanks a lot for reading, and I hope you stick around for the next chapter! See you then!**


	3. Beneath the Shattered Moon

**Hoo, boy. This chapter was expected to be the shortest yet by a longshot, but somehow it managed to surpass the first by a few hundred. You'll notice this chapter probably has the least action so far, which is part of what terrified me going in. Let me know if you find anything weird about the structure of the thing!**

 **And yes, I'm once again forgoing the intro. I'm as shocked as all of you are.**

 **Enjoy!**

* * *

 **ATLAS: EXCIDIUM**

 **Chapter III**

 **BENEATH THE SHATTERED MOON**

* * *

"Come in."

Winter opened the door, closing it behind her and standing at attention. The room she had just entered was the General's office, and the man could be seen standing next to the window overlooking the academy grounds.

"Sir..." Winter began, her usual stoicism somewhat removed. "Not all of the subjects of the procedure made it."

"I am aware." The general said with a sigh. "Ulyana, was it?"

"Yes, sir." Winter replied with an unseen nod. "We... have to tell the parents." The general was silent for a moment.

"Miss Schnee?" He began at last.

"Yes, sir?" The former heiress instinctively responded.

"I wish to send you to bear the news to her parents." The general turned to face her. "They should be proud knowing she fell valiantly in battle, in defense of her comrades and her kingdom." Winter paused for a moment, her face softened, before nodding.

"Yes, sir." The girl turned towards the door, leaving as she allowed the door to close on its own.

Ironwood sighed as he stepped toward his desk. On its surface rested a file labeled 'Rozaviy, Ulyana.' The man opened the file, looking at the photo provided for reference. He picked up a stamp, and pressed it against the monochrome image.

"MIA." Read the red text.

The general turned back to the window, watching as soldiers smuggled a casket amongst a shipment of dust containers.

Something told him it wouldn't be the last.

* * *

Winter approached the door, and was about to knock on its mahogany surface. However, before her hand made contact, she could feel it recoil. Winter took a deep breath.

 _You do this all the time, Schnee. Control yourself._

Of course, it never got easier. Breaking the news to parents that they were never going to see their child again, especially when she had to lie about the cause, always required a moment to gain and enforce her composure.

 _Just tell them the 'truth.'_

Winter's gloved hand made contact with the door three times; no more, no less. A tense moment passed before she could hear footsteps approaching the door. She straightened her stance as the handle turned, revealing a middle-aged man.

"Greeting, sir." Winter began with a nod. "Is there any chance your wife is home?"

"Honey?" The man called behind him. A moment later, a woman, also middle-aged, joined her husband at the door. "What is this about?" Winter sighed.

 _Damnit, Schnee! Keep it together!_

"We at Atlas regret to inform you..." she paused, already seeing the tears forming in their eyes. She didn't even have to finish the sentence before the mother had put her hand to her mouth. "...that your daughter, Ulyana, has passed away." The tears were stronger now, as the now childless mother leaned into her husband's shoulder. "We would like you to know that we are very proud of what she did. She died valiantly in defense of her allies and kingdom. Her demise, while not peaceful, was most honorable." Now Winter was trying to hold back tears herself. "If there is anything we can do to assist in the grieving process, please don't hesitate to ask." The parents didn't respond as the sobbing continued. Winter's stoic expression faded as she placed her hands on their shoulders, before wrapping her arms around the couple.

The soldier mentally cursed herself as a lone tear slid down her cheek.

* * *

"What would you desire the second Centaur to do, sir?" Grigio thought a moment before answering Mr. Persimmon's question.

"Retreat into the wilderness for now. Hide the best it can. We may need it later, and the less of a distraction it is, the better."

"Done, sir." Mr. Persimmon replied after typing for a moment. "If I may, sir, why did the first one attack Petram?"

"It was programmed to, upon the destruction of the factory, attack a randomly selected settlement, excluding Atlas and Mantle from the randomization process." Grigio explained.

"Of course, sir. May I ask the intent of this action?" Mr. Persimmon questioned, trying not to push his commander.

"I would have figured the White Fang to have wasted no time in branding the machine with their own logo, starting a war between themselves and Atlas when it attacked. Alas, the factory was destroyed before they could do so."

"Does this interfere with your plans?"

"Marginally. Atlas isn't as distracted now as I had hoped. Our progress will be slowed, but not stopped."

"Did you not have a contingency for this, sir?"

"You know me well enough, Mr. Persimmon." Grigio answered.

"Very well. What shall I do?"

"Tap Atlas' systems. Leave crumbs, but not towards ourselves." Mr. Persimmon nodded.

"It shall be done immediately."

"Good. One more thing, Mr. Persimmon."

"Yes, sir?"

"Where are the four carriers now?" Mr. Persimmon looked to his computer.

"Miss Thrush and Miss Aulnoy are being fetched by Search and Rescue, and Miss Zaffre and Mr. Laoch have arrived at Atlas Academy."

"Good. Carry on with your other task." Grigio looked to his own screen. "Let me know when I can schedule a meeting."

* * *

Laura and Malina walked into the dorm, having just arrived back at the academy. The other two members of the team sat on their beds, having waited for them for little more than half an hour.

"What happened out there?" Conáilte asked.

"Laura hit her head and was rendered unconscious when the Centaur exploded. We had to wait for Search and Rescue." Malina explained.

"I'm fine now." Laura added.

"Alright, so let's debrief. Laura, what on Remnant were you doing out there?"

"Conáilte!" Malina scolded.

"We're lucky Malina was able to convince you, but you shouldn't have needed convincing!" The boy scolded his leader. "What did you think would happen when you didn't act?"

"Conáilte, that's enough!" Malina chided once more.

"Malina, he's right." Laura frowned. "Meadow and I are so, so sorry. We would have been able to fight off the robots more easily and destroy it sooner if I hadn't hesitated."

"'Hesitated,' huh?"

"Meadow's especially sorry. She... had a bad experience, and that was her last memory before the procedure. She didn't want to go through something similar again, and made me promise to stay away from battles I couldn't win."

"There's your first problem, Laura." Conáilte replied, still sternly but now more quietly. "You're a leader now, like it or not. No one's voice comes before your own. If you let people walk all over you, what kind of leader are you?" Laura looked downward, unable to answer her teammate's question. "Do you understand why we're upset with you and Meadow?"

"Because we wouldn't go along with your plan?"

"No. I'm mad because you didn't do your job as a leader. You need to give us a reason to listen to you. Demand our loyalty, and demand our respect. And if we don't do exactly what you want, back us up. Again, Laura, you're a leader. Lead me. Lead all of us." Conáilte pointed to Malina, then Nyan. "Earn our respect, and our loyalty. Because we need someone to give that to, and you have to be that someone." The room was quiet for a moment.

"Laura." Malina started. "I, for one, accept yours and Meadow's apology. I think we all just need to come together as a team and discuss things more." She turned to Nyan and Conáilte. "We destroyed a Centaur. We should celebrate, not get into a fight!"

"When? We still have classes in a few minutes."

"After class. There's a restaurant I know just a few blocks out. We'll get ourselves something nice to eat, maybe talk some more."

"Doesn't sound like a bad idea."

"That sounds AWESOME!"

"I'd like that, thank you." Laura turned to her team. "Come on. Let's get ready for class."

* * *

"Good morning, class!" The professor spoke loudly.

A high volume was to be expected when one was giving a lecture, but this professor took that to another level. He didn't yell, but he could still be heard over everyone else.

"Welcome to your first day of classes! I will be your first period instructor for the year. My name is Mr. Tenne. In my class this year, you will learn about the art of war. You will emerge from this class in four years with perhaps more knowledge of combat than any of your predecessors ever could have dreamt of, and capable of leading an army into battle."

"You see, Atlas is unique among the four kingdoms. While huntsmen and huntresses of other kingdoms become independent upon graduation, Atlas graduates can decide to enter the Atlesian military, with a leg up on their non-trained comrades. If you so desire, you can leave this academy with a moderately sized battalion under your command and a silver patch on your shoulder. The better you do in this class, the higher rank you can expect to be when you enter the military."

"Tactics are not solely for the military, however. In all instances of combat, whether you outnumber them or them you, whether one on one or a battle between two armies, having a sound strategy is half the battle."

"In this course, we will examine accounts of famous battles past and analyze the successes and errors of each side. We will also put these lessons to use during combat missions, which will be scheduled more regularly due to recent changes in the school curriculum in light of the Fall of Beacon."

As Laura jotted down notes, she looked around, specifically at her teammates. While many teams had sat together, hers, sadly, had not.

Malina was busy writing down what the teacher said, just as she had been. Nyan seemed to be fidgeting with a pencil, attempting to flip it and have it land on the eraser. Both of these were understandable; from what Laura understood, Nyan was very fun-loving while Malina was much more focused. Nyan was probably dreading the lecture while Malina was prepared to write every word of it, as opposed to the simple notes the faunus was taking.

 _Where's Conáilte?_

 _I'm looking._ Laura scanned the room, keeping most of her attention on the lecture.

At last, she spotted him, all the way in the back row. He seemed to be making quips among the other students who had found a seat in a similar position.

 _Someone's going to be failing._

 _Well, I'm not going to get in his way until he is._

 _If you think that's best._ Meadow replied, an air of disagreement to her voice.

"Now, everyone, underneath each seat is a copy of 'The Art of War.' Grab your copy and open to page one." The professor scanned the room, making sure everybody did so. "Miss Zaffre, did you hear my instructions?"

"Nope." The motorcyclist responded, continuing to attempt the trick. This earned some laughter from the rest of the class, which Nyan was more than happy to receive.

"Isn't that your partner?" One of the backseat kids asked Conáilte.

"Unfortunately." the boy responded monotonously.

"Alright, Miss Zaffre. My instructions were to pull out the copy of 'The Art of War' from under your desk and turn to page one."

"Okay." Nyan continued attempting the trick with one hand as she grabbed the book with the other.

"And please stop playing with your pencil, or I will have it taken from you." Nyan quietly whined as she set the pencil down on the desk. "Alright, who will read first?"

As the first student to volunteer read the first page aloud, Laura felt something poking the alula of her wings. She turned her head to notice it was a pencil.

 _What are you waiting for? Tell him off!_

"Excuse me?"

"Whoa, they are real!" The culprit noted with a quiet laugh. Laura turned back around, the poking having stopped. However, she soon felt a sudden, sharper pain from her wings, this time at one of her secondary converts. After almost yelping, she looked back at the culprit, who was now inspecting a feather in his hands. Laura grabbed her notepad and moved to a different seat, a tear forming in each eye.

 _Laura, you have to stop being a pushover._ Meadow scolded.

 _We're on the same side. Besides, it'll grow back..._ Laura argued.

 _I know you hate infighting, but he isn't your friend! Not everyone is!_

 _If I tried to start a confrontation I'd just be worse than him._

 _No, you won't. Believe me, the bar is VERY high for that._

Laura ignored her second as she continued to take notes on the lesson.

* * *

Malina scanned over her notes as the professor took a short break to write something down. She'd gotten almost every word, and would make sure to go over everything again tonight.

"Hey." A voice whispered beside her.

"Hello." Malina responded, turning towards her temporary conversational partner. There wasn't much to note, besides her pink tank top, ballroom gloves, and a secondary pair of brown ears that seemed like they belonged on a maltese.

"You enjoying this class so far?"

"More or less. You?"

"Yeah. Could do with a bit quieter of a lecturer though." Malina nodded lightly. "Hey, I'm Alizarin, by the way."

"Malina. Glad to meet you."

"Alright, class, let's continue." The professor announced as he turned back towards his students. "Mr. Laoch?"

"Yes, sir?" Malina heard her teammate from the back of the class.

"You seemed to be having a fruitful conversation with your peers. Would you mind sharing with the class?"

"I would mind, yes."

"Well then, can you tell me what I said a minute ago?" The professor tested.

"Something about deception?" Mr. Tenne smiled, impressed.

"I find it impressive that you can listen to two people at once."

"Thank you."

"However, I would much prefer if you only listen to one." Conáilte remained silent as the professor continued. "Now, can anyone give me an example of setting bait for your enemy?" The professor looked around. "Yes, Mr. Newman?"

"A scout?" The boy answered less than confidently.

"A scout can be utilized for this purpose, yes. Mr. Laoch?"

"Doesn't even have to be literal. If you piss them off enough they'll come to you, and they'll make a ton of stupid decisions doing it." Conáilte related from experience.

"While that tactic is generally discouraged, it can work." Mr. Tenne admitted. "Miss Zaffre?" The professor paused before sighing. "Somebody please wake up Miss Zaffre."

"Yes, sir." Laura volunteered. The leader used her semblance to awaken her teammate with a loud screech. After the class had gotten over their laughing fit, the professor addressed the girl.

"Alright then. Miss Zaffre, could you read the next part?"

"Uh..." Nyan looked around, trying to determine where they were.

"I'll do it." Malina volunteered.

"I appreciate you trying to take the fall for your teammate, miss Aulnoy, but I asked miss Zaffre to read it."

"Yes, sir."

"Uh..." Nyan scanned the page, with no clue what had been read and what hadn't. That was, until she heard a voice in her ear. Not her second, but a sound created by Laura, just for her ear. "'If your opponent is of choleric temper, seek to irritate him. Pretend to be weak, that he may grow arrogant.'" Nyan read aloud.

"Very good. That ties into what Mr. Laoch said earlier more so than the segment about bait, I believe."

"Yes, sir." Conáilte acknowledged.

 _Ha!_

 _Shut up, Bess._

 _Sorry, just nice to see you be wrong every now and again._

 _Everybody is._

 _Yeah, but you always get a little mad at yourself when you are._

 _And that makes you happy?_

 _Yup. Call it schadenfreude._

 _Call it I despise you._

 _Aw, you don't mean that!_

 _I will kill both of us._

 _Always a killjoy._ Bess 'sighed.'

* * *

"I thought that class would never end." Conáilte said to his team, though mostly just to himself.

"Right? It was torture!" Nyan pouted. "I can't stay awake without doing something for that long!"

"Then do something." Conáilte stated the obvious.

"I tried! I was trying to get the pencil to land on the eraser!"

"Well, maybe instead you should take notes." Malina suggested.

"Taking notes is so boring!"

"Why are you going to a school then?"

"Because I want to fight stuff and do cool things!" Nyan answered as if there were no other way to.

"You're hopeless, Nyan, completely hopeless." the team's male sighed.

"Hi again!" Malina heard from behind her. She turned to the speaker.

"Hey, Alizarin, what's up?"

"You know her?" Conáilte asked.

"We just met during class." Malina explained.

"I take it this is your team?" Malina's new acquaintance asked.

"Yeah, team LMNC. Laura-"

"Hello." Laura greeted with a small curtsy and a smile.

"Nyan-"

"Hey." The motorcyclist smirked.

"Me, and Conáilte."

"Yup." The boy responded. "Where's your team?"

"They're off doing their own thing. Where are you all going?"

"We're actually going out to eat as a team." Laura answered.

"Oh, a team meal! Maybe we ought to do that. Tonight or tomorrow." Alizarin looked at her watch. "Hey, I've got a club meeting, but it was nice meeting you!"

"You as well." Malina smiled.

* * *

After taking a minute to change into casual attire, the team left the school grounds, following Malina as she led them to the restaurant she had mentioned earlier.

"So, what kind of restaurant is this?" Conáilte inquired as they turned onto a different block.

"To be honest, it's pretty standard fare, at least for Atlas. They have good steak if I'm one to judge."

"Steak? Do they have anything with chicken?!" Nyan asked, becoming excited.

"Most likely. I haven't ordered it myself, but I'm sure the quality's on par."

As Laura listened to the conversation, she couldn't help but notice that people were moving out of their way, especially hers.

 _Why are they moving?_

 _Maybe they respect Atlas students?_

 _How could they know that? We aren't in uniform._

 _Huh. Maybe they... oh._

 _Oh?_

 _Laura, I'm so sorry. You have to remember... Atlas isn't the best place for a faunus._

Laura's eyes widened as she suddenly realized what Meadow meant. They weren't moving out of respect; it was as if someone were walking behind her, ringing a bell and shouting 'unclean' as she walked through the street. Laura wrapped her wings around herself as she continued walking with her team. At one point, a small child tried to touch them, and while she wouldn't have minded, the mother grabbed the boy's hand and scolded him, reminding him that he had just washed his hands.

 _Maybe the restaurant won't be so bad._

 _I wouldn't be so sure._

"Alright, this is it." Malina announced as they came to the corner. Malina was the first to enter, followed by her team, but Laura was stopped at the door.

"Hey!" The man who stopped her said. "Are you trying to make a scene?"

"Excuse me?"

"I take it you're new to Atlas. 'Round here, we have a policy. We make the customers happy. And the customers? They don't like your kind."

"Doesn't that make your faunus customers unhappy?" Laura asked.

"I just told you why we don't have faunus customers, kid. I'll go tell the people you came with, but you stay outside." The door closed on the girl, who was left with her wings wrapped tightly around her and her lip quivering. She sat on the curb, avoided as before, and turned back to the restaurant as her team emerged. Malina walked over to her leader and hugged her.

"Laura, I'm so sorry, I had no idea."

"It's not your fault." Laura sighed.

"Hey!" Nyan piped up. "I think I know a place. Just down the block from here. They have a big menu, and they serve faunus!"

"Really? By all means, lead the way."

The walk was more of the same, though this time Malina became acutely aware of the people avoiding Laura, and moved closer to her partner.

 _This is gonna take some getting used to. For both of us._

Laura nodded. _The White Fang had a reverse effect of what they wanted. They wanted less oppression, but their methods inspired more. They've made things worse for every faunus that isn't actively fighting with them._

 _I'm sorry, Laura. You don't deserve any of this._

 _Thank you, Meadow._

The team entered the restaurant, taking a few seats near the window. A waitress soon joined them.

"Hello! Was today your first day at Atlas, too?"

"It was!" Laura answered, her demeanor brighter than before. "It was... eventful." The rest of the team nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure it was! We've had a bunch of students coming in today. And being the biggest restaurant around that accepts faunus, we're really packed tonight. You're lucky you could all find a seat!" The waitress smiled and pulled a notebook out of her apron pocket. "Now, what would you all like?" The four looked to the menus.

"A half-pound hamwich is...?"

"Half a pound of roast beef between two buns."

"Right, I'll take two of those and some fries." Conáilte said with a nod. "Root beer to drink. Preferably caffeinated, but I don't mind either way."

"I'll have the steak and steamed vegetables with a buttered roll on the side. Just water to drink." Malina added.

Laura looked over the menu for another moment.

 _You want to try some new Atlas food, or something more familiar?_

 _I'll go with the Macaroni and Cheese Casserole. My mom used to make that all the time when Lavender and I were little._

 _Alright, tell her that._

"I'll have the Macaroni and Cheese Casserole." Laura announced. "Just water for me, too."

"I'll have the..." Nyan squinted at the word on her menu. "'Quickie?'"

"...Do you mean the quiche, ma'am?" The waitress asked as she, Malina, and Conáilte all turned to the motorcyclist, raising an eyebrow each.

"Sure! And I'll just have milk to drink."

"Alright. Anything for dessert?"

"I think we'll think about that once we're done with dinner." Conáilte turned to his team, who nodded in agreement.

"Alright, that'll be just a few minutes." The waitress tore off the page she had been writing on before turning towards the kitchen. "Have a good evening!"

"You as well!" Laura smiled. The faunus turned to her team. "Thanks for coming back outside."

"No problem. Better stuff here anyway." Nyan shrugged. "No idea what a quiche is, but I can't wait to find out!"

"Who knows? Maybe the other restaurants in the area will see how much this one benefits from accepting faunus and start letting them in for their bottom lines' sakes."

"I'd prefer they let them in out of the goodness of their hearts."

"Intentions don't matter. Actions and their effects do." Conáilte replied, more sternly than before.

"Well, what if someone does the right thing for the wrong reason?"

"That doesn't matter. Not to anyone else, anyway. The right thing's the right thing, however subjective that might be. Until it's a bad thing, it doesn't matter if the intentions are bad, and even then, it doesn't matter if they're good either. If you don't know what the intentions are, look at the effects and infer them." The table grew silent for a moment before the waitress returned with their orders. They ate for a while, starving after the day's events.

"So, Malina." Conáilte started between bites. "You're from Atlas?"

"Born and raised. I heard you telling Laura you were from Vale. Was your family okay after the fall?"

"Well, it didn't really affect us. We were north of Vale, and the Grimm came from the south. But with Beacon overrun and effectively acting as a spawning ground, my family had to move to Patch just to be sure. I decided to come here instead." Malina nodded.

"I remember hearing about it. I guess it just shocked me that one of the academies could fall so quickly."

"It didn't help that most of the student body ran away. From the reports I read, only about three dozen students actually fought at the Fall. Everyone else evacuated as soon as possible."

"My sister was one of them." Laura noted.

"One of only sixteen or so Beacon students. The rest were other competitors in the Vytal Festival. I don't know why most of them chose to run, but I have a gut feeling a lot of the ones who did are here now."

"I don't understand. Weren't they trained specifically to fight Grimm and the White Fang?" Malina asked. "The Fang and Grimm had a numbers advantage, but a huntsman or huntress in training can take on more than one or two Grimm, and White Fang grunts aren't notorious for their individual combat prowess."

"People assumed Beacon was impervious to Grimm attack. They didn't think the threat would be coming to them. That doesn't excuse them, of course."

"Why would they come here, then?" Nyan questioned.

"Atlas isn't liable to see a Grimm attack any time soon. The Solitas wilderness is too cold for them if I'm not mistaken."

"You're not. So, they're just here for safety?"

"I think most of them want to finish their training. Atlas was the place that took them in." Conáilte looked out the window. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't concerned. Assuming someone does attack Atlas, I don't want to be able to count the number of students who choose to defend the school. But if Beacon was any indicator, that won't be too unlikely."

"More reason for us to stay and fight!" Nyan cheered.

"You're all talking like it's already happening." Laura commented. "We should enjoy our time here, and worry about that once we need to."

"We make that choice now, and we won't have to make it again in the heat of the moment." Malina replied, turning to her team. "Do we all agree on 'no running?'"

"Until the fight's done or I am." Conáilte nodded.

"What he said!" Nyan added with a full mouth.

 _No more of what happened back on the Centaur mission. From now on, it's feet first into hell._

"Feet first into hell." Laura repeated. The four raised their drinks, falling silent once again as they continued eating.

* * *

The four stepped out of the restaurant as the street lights began to turn on. As they walked, they were unaware of the vehicle on the road behind them. The driver looked intently at the four as his car neared them. The four hadn't yet turned the corner before a police car's sirens could be heard behind them for a quick moment, pulling up just behind the four. Malina smiled as her team raised eyebrows. The man stepped out of the car, walking in front of the vehicle as he approached the team.

Laura noticed his badge, and almost immediately put the dots together.

"Hey, dad." Malina greeted the detective. The girl jogged over and hugged him before turning to her team. "Everyone, this is my father, Detective Aulnoy."

"Hey, now, you don't need to introduce me by my title." The detective added with a smile. The man had a 'dad body,' clothed with a suit and tie and topped with a fedora. If there were ever an image that came to Laura's head when she thought of a detective, Malina's father wasn't far off.

"Pleased to meet you!" Laura smiled.

"Are these your teammates?" The detective asked.

"Yup. Team LuMiNesCent."

"Ah, darn."

"What's wrong?"

"I bet Taupe 20 lien you'd be a team leader."

"You've never won a bet against Detective Russet." Malina reminded.

"I will someday." The detective sighed. "So, you all ate out tonight?"

"Yup!" Nyan answered. "We had to find a restaurant that let in faunus." Malina's father nodded before turning to his daughter.

"Sweetie, what'd you get, and did you check the calories?"

"Yes, dad. Steak and steamed vegetables, six hundred forty-five calories. If I were going to eat junk, I would've done that before starting at a huntress academy, not after."

"Atta girl. Have you been treating your team right? How've they been treating you?" Malina's father interrogated.

"She's been one heck of a teammate, sir." Conáilte chimed in.

"And a lovely partner!" Laura added with a smile. The detective smirked in return.

"Well, you got two witnesses for how you're treating them, but how are they treating you?" Mr. Aulnoy asked again.

"Dad, they're treating me fine. We've had a few squabbles, naturally, for the most part, we've settled in as a team quite nicely." The detective nodded as Malina smiled.

"Hey, listen, I saw you all while I was heading back to the department for an interrogation, so I gotta get back to it, but you have a good night, okay?"

"Yes, dad. You have a good night as well." The detective turned to the team as he entered the police car.

"You all take good care of each other." The man said with simultaneous sternness and happiness.

"We will!" Laura replied as she waved goodbye. She thought she saw a motorcycle with no driver pass behind him, but assumed it to be her imagination. She turned to her team, but Meadow pointed something out mere seconds later.

 _Where's Nyan?_

"Nyan?" Laura called out. Malina and Conáilte looked around.

"Did she just run off?"

"I think she just rode off." Laura corrected. "I saw her motorcycle driving itself straight to her."

"Are you gonna call her back here?" Conáilte asked as Laura grabbed her scroll.

"No, she should be fine. I'll just tell her to be back at the dorm by six." Laura replied as she typed.

"If you say so." Malina started walking to the academy, prompting Laura and Conáilte to do the same.

* * *

"Miss Zaffre appears to have gone on an evening ride." Mr. Persimmon announced, looking to Grigio from his computer.

"Can you predict her route?"

"I would suggest the alley connecting 24th and Magnolia. She'd very likely pass it or enter it."

"Very well. Carry on with your tasks tonight. I will return momentarily." Grigio stood up and walked towards the exit of his hideout. He adjusted his mask, despite it already in an optimal position, just to be sure as he emerged into the streets.

* * *

Laura and Malina returned to the school grounds, Conáilte veering in a different direction as they entered. Malina looked around, and noticed a building in the distance.

"Hey, Laura, isn't that the Weapons Fabrication Center where you made Conáilte's holster?"

"Yup! Pretty happy with the way it turned out." Laura's eyes widened. "Oh! Were you thinking about a modification?"

"I was, actually." Malina smiled. "Do you think you could help me out?"

"I'd love to!" The faunus smiled as the two turned towards the building. "What kind of modification were you thinking about?"

"Well, assuming you can figure out how to do it, I'd like to be able to eject a small submachine gun from the stock of my rifle." Laura thought about what the taller girl said for a moment.

"Okay, I think I could figure that out. What would you need a modification like that for?"

"Let's say someone grabs the barrel of my rifle and keeps it pointed away from them. I eject the SMG, and I'm capable of shooting again. Just in case they're too strong for me to count on beating them in hand-to-hand, having a backup weapon's going to come in real handy."

"It could also help you in closer ranges in general." Laura thought aloud. "Malina, that's brilliant!" The brunette smiled.

"Thank you. But I can't get that sort of thing made without your expertise."

"Aw, thanks!"

As the two arrived, Malina entered a code on a nearby keypad, and within moments, the school's locker transport system had delivered her weapon from the underground storage to the fabrication building, the brunette's marksman rifle emerging through an opening panel on the wall. "Do you have the SMG?" Laura asked her teammate.

"Unfortunately, no. But I think if we make it here, it can be more accurate to my rifle's ability to store it."

"Okay! It'll take me a bit more time that way, but you're right, it'll fit a lot better!" Laura replied as Malina handed her the rifle.

As the shorter girl took measurements, she could almost see exactly what kind and what size of part would be needed for the finished product. She didn't use firearms herself- she preferred Golden Fellwing- but she and Lavender had learned how to make weapons alongside her father. She knew how to make a weapon that could spin and shift without once catching, and if it did, she could fix it right up.

The blonde created small lines on the rifle using a pencil, and became absorbed in her work to the point that the girl she was doing this for practically faded from her memory entirely, though not so only due to Meadow not sharing such a mindset.

 _Sorry! I'll try to keep quiet._

 _Thank you._ That was all Laura replied before resuming her work. Mark, measure, measure again, write down the parts she would need to make right there and which ones she could buy at the back counter. The sear, bolt, extractor, ejector, firing pin, all on her mind as she wrote and sketched. The parts accumulated on the workbench as the furnace burned and her wallet slightly emptied.

As the faunus molded the casing, which would take some time to cool, a question came to her mind. "Hey, Malina?"

"Yes?"

"Why did you want to become a huntress? I'm sure you could make a good detective, just like your father. Not that I'm telling you what to do with your life, of course!"

"No, it's fine." Malina smiled. "My father taught me a lot of what he knew, and I'm only as smart as I am because of him. But, on the other hand, my mom got me into sports as soon as she could, which naturally made me more athletic. As a detective, I could use my father's knowledge, sure, but as a huntress, I could use both to some extent. I don't want to let either of them or myself down, so here I am." Laura nodded with a smile. "Was I right when I said you were here to save lives?"

"You were." Laura responded as she began to arrange some parts of the SMG together. "But I also want to be like my sister. She's really nice, and she's really brave. I just want to be the kind of person she'd be proud introducing to her friends."

"You're doing a good job. I'm glad you decided to come up and help us back there." Laura frowned.

"I should have come up sooner. Conáilte was right, I needed to be there for you all."

"Laura, you've been here for two days. You're still learning. Give it a month, I know you'll become the leader we need." The smile returned to Laura's face.

"Thanks, Malina."

"No problem. Thanks again for helping me out with this."

"You're welcome! I like to feel helpful." Laura took the casing, plunging it into water before placing it near the other parts of the sidearm. "How strong do you want the ejection mechanism?" The girl asked as she took Malina's marksman rifle apart to create exactly that.

"Something that'd be safe to catch at about... one or two feet." Malina mused.

"Alright, I'll try different strengths, and you just tell me what works, okay?" Laura responded as she started creating the storage space for the new weapon, using said weapon as an outline.

The spring was adjusted in strength over the next few minutes as Laura continually placed the submachine gun into the space and ejected it. At long last, the weapon was finally completed. The spring mechanism was to Malina's liking, and the handle of the SMG blended almost seamlessly with the rifle's stock. After some time on the firing range with both, Malina voiced her approval of the final product.

"This is perfect! This never would've happened without you."

"Aw, you're welcome!"

 _You're really good at this, Laura!_

 _Thanks! Now if only I could lead as well as I could make a gun..._

 _Hey, you'll get there._

Malina placed her rifle into the transport mechanism and entered her code to return it to storage. The two stepped out into the night, and as they did so, Laura overheard some students to their left. When she looked, her eyes were met the sight of more faunus than she had ever expected to see at the academy. Among them was Alizarin, who soon noticed the pair.

"Hey, you two! Didn't think I'd be seeing you again tonight. Have you signed up yet, Laura?"

"Signed up for what?"

"You don't know? A bunch of the new students decided to set up a faunus diversity group here at the school. Think of it like a union, only without the dues. We'll arrange get-togethers, maybe a protest every now and again, and just try to create some solidarity among the faunus here. I think you'd like it!"

"That sounds wonderful!" Laura's wings extended as she cheered. "Where do I sign up?"

"Right at the booth we set up over there! Come on, let me introduce you to some of the others on the way!" Malina stayed put as the two walked together to the booth.

 _This is perfect! Being in a group like this, we should have one less thing to worry about, which will let you focus more on becoming a good leader._

 _Yup! I still wish Lavender were here, though._

 _Don't worry! She will be once Beacon's in a good enough state. You'll have plenty of friends here to keep you company until then._ Laura smiled.

 _Including you._

* * *

Conáilte walked around the school grounds following Malina and Laura's entering the armory. Wandering was something he did quite regularly, so he had no problem simply looking at what the grounds had to offer. He passed by four sparring rings, each filled with props and cover rather than the flat, empty rings that other schools were known to use. In the fourth ring, he could see a combat team in training.

He couldn't for the life of him figure out what kind of drill they were doing, if any at all. They were training together geographically, but not in practicality.

"You know," Conáilte called out to the four. "I think it'd be better if you did some training as an actual team."

"Yeah?" The largest one, who Conáilte assumed was the leader, replied. "Got any ideas, rookie?"

"I have one. Put your weapons down in the middle of the ring and start at each quarter. You can use any weapon but your own. Last one with aura wins."

"Are you kidding? We need to get better with our own weapons!" A training redhead contested.

"Of course. But you should also get better with your teammates' weapons. You never know when you might have to pick them up and keep fighting."

"That's a bit morbid." A lankier girl whimpered.

"That's intelligent." Conáilte corrected. "Besides, you shouldn't develop your skill with just a single specially designed weapon. If you want to have any hope being resourceful, you need to be able to use a lot of different weapons."

"Okay, but why would we fight each other?" The boy in glasses asked.

"Because fighting a person requires more skill than fighting a target, real or imaginary. Besides, you might fight the person who's using your weapon. That'll help you realize the weaknesses of your weapon, and maybe get you thinking on how to work around the weaknesses when you're using it." The four looked to each other.

"I'd say it'd be worth a shot, at least once." The suited girl spoke up.

"Alright, let's try it. Thanks... uh..."

"Conáilte."

"Alright! I'm Sean, leader of team SHaDoW."

"Hey, that's not bad. Stuck with LuMiNesCent, myself." Conáilte rolled his eyes.

"That's not terrible either. Thanks again!"

"No problem." Conáilte shrugged as he walked away from the arenas. As he continued looking, he noticed some of his friends sitting at a picnic table. He bought himself another can of root beer from a nearby vending machine and sat with them.

"Hey," the blue hooded boy greeted as he sat down. "Am I interrupting a conversation?"

"Not at all." One of the elders replied. Conáilte was the only one at the table below the age of fifty-five, and such was obvious to any onlooker. Despite their age, status as graduates of the academy, and several years in the field, they were the ones Conáilte considered most to be his peers. "I thought I saw you talking to those youngsters over there." Conáilte nodded.

"Yup. They were training as a team, but not 'as a team.'" The elders nodded.

"It's only their second day as a team." One of the elders, Roy, pointed out. "They haven't quite gotten together yet."

"All the more important that they start now. Half these classes don't matter if your team can't get its act together." Cerule responded.

"Has your team done a good job of that?" Krim asked Conáilte.

"Decently. We just had a team dinner out. Nothing quite brings people together like food." The blue hooded boy's friends chuckled. "My team leader actually helped me make modifications for my weapons."

"What kind of modifications?"

"She made a holster that automatically reloads my pistols when I bring them to the right spot on my hips."

"You use dual pistols?"

"Yeah. Better to use weapons that are more basic, the way I see it. Gives you more utility with using other weapons, rather than something tailored to yourself that you use exclusively." The others nodded.

"I can't understand this generations fascination with those newfangled mecha-shift weapons." Roy griped. "Our weapons had dual functions, but you didn't see them jumbling up and mixing their parts around. We'd flip it in our hands and keep fighting." The others, including Conáilte, nodded in response.

"My weapon didn't even have two functions, just a sword or a rifle can work well enough!" Krim added.

"I can't understand half the things my generation does. Bunch of them think they need to change the color of their hair. One of my teammates actually dyed hers green." The elders rolled their eyes.

"Kids these days." Cerule groaned.

"Kids these days." Conáilte repeated.

"You know, I was there when the teams were being announced." Roy started. "Thought I heard the general telling you something about being more patient with your team."

"Believe me, I'm trying, and BELIEVE me, so are they." The boy rolled his eyes before looking back to his friends. "Yeah, that's another thing about my generation that scares me: their naivety."

"Kids are always naive." Cerule shook his head. "Some of them outgrow it, like you, but some want to stay young forever."

"Those are the worst kinds of people. Youth's wasted on the young." Conáilte sighed. "That's what I'm trying to do. Help my team grow up. Make sure they're mature, and by extension, good."

"Well, best of luck to you." Conáilte smiled, and raised the can he'd been drinking from.

"To growing old."

* * *

As Laura became friends with some of the members of the group, Malina felt her scroll buzz in her pocket. She answered the call, and brought the device to her ear.

"Hey, dad." The brunette answered with a smile.

"Hey, sweetie. Listen, I didn't want to talk about it in front of your team, but I managed to decrypt the files you sent me."

"Did you find any information on the White Fang's next moves?" Malina asked.

"That's exactly the thing: the files? Aren't related to the White Fang at all. Where did you find these again?"

"I downloaded them as we were assaulting a factory during initiation. I suspected the factory didn't originally belong to the Fang when I overheard some wondering what else they would find there." Malina mused.

"That's my girl." The detective praised. "It doesn't sound to me like the factory was theirs, and these files don't seem to belong to them, either."

"Do they pertain to anything of relevance, then?" The detective hummed for a moment.

"Maybe. Keep this all in your pocket for now. I'm going to look into all of this some more before we send it up to Ironwood."

"You think it might be that important?" Malina asked, some worry coming over her.

"That's why I'm investigating. I don't quite know enough yet." Malina nodded to herself.

"Got it. Are you going to keep me in the loop about this?"

"I'll keep it on a need-to-know basis the best I can. You have other things to be focused on, alright?"

"Yes, dad. I love you."

"Love you too, sweetie." The detective hung up, leaving his daughter with a feeling of worry.

 _What do you think's going on?_

 _That's the problem. I have absolutely no idea._ Malina sighed. _Let's hope it's not the worst._

* * *

Nyan held onto Comet and sped through the city, the old bike proving reliable once again. She wasn't exactly sure what route she was going to take, but she would get back eventually; even if she made a handful of wrong turns, Comet would still be fast enough to get back in a reasonable amount of time.

Assuming she didn't get into a fight.

It wasn't that she didn't want a fight- if anything, that had been motivation to take the path she had- though one likely would make her late.

 _Oh, well._

Nyan looked down a dark alley. She smiled as she noticed someone leaning against the wall, his gaze focused on her through his mask. She checked the clock on Comet's dash.

 _On second thought, I've got time._

Comet's engine roared as Nyan turned on the spot and charged the man, who stepped to the side, avoiding the attack as a matador a bull. Nyan, however, wasn't as stupid as a bull. The moment she passed him, Comet's wheels left the ground on a trajectory to the man's face, the girl's feet hitting the ground as she stabilized for the blow. The man raised his arm in the way of the attack, and the moment the bike bounced back, he lunged at her with a punch. He was lightning fast, and Nyan was sent no less than two yards back from the blow.

Nyan turned her eyes back to the masked madman. The plain white features were ever unchanging, giving her the unsettling feeling of fighting a husk rather then a man. As she watched, the man turned to face her again, the darkened eyeholes in the mask boring into her soul. A cold feeling crept up her spine, and she shuddered before launching herself back into battle with a scowl. Comet's tires made contact with the ground again, sending her back towards her opponent with greater haste. Opting for an upward strike, Nyan popped a wheelie, but as she started to bring the wheel upward, the man knelt down to his lowest point and crossed his arms, stopping the attack dead and sending the girl stumbling back.

Before Nyan could recover, the man had walked towards her, using a backhand to attack both of her wrists, removing her grip on the motorcycle. This attack was followed up with a downward punch. Nyan activated her secondary semblance just as the punch- one of 12,500 newtons- made contact, but stopped dead courtesy of her second aura.

However, her second hadn't told her about the downside of the new semblance, and after the effect wore off, she found herself paralyzed, and tried to brace herself, to no avail, as the man performed the attack again, this time forcing her to the ground. As she felt her ability to move returning, the man had grabbed her left wrist and bicep, and slammed her into the wall. Nyan pressed a button on her helmet, and the man turned as Comet righted itself and rocketed in his direction. He stopped it with one hand and grabbed Nyan with the other, lifting her into the air. The bike, having reached its driver, disabled its autopilot, deploying its own kickstand as it halted. The man dropped Nyan onto the ground, his mask showing no emotion as he spoke.

"Shame. You defeated the Centaur's onboard defenses with little difficulty, but here you are, struggling against me." The masked man knelt down to meet Nyan's eyes, the girl's filled with fiery determination, and the eyes of his mask dark and hollow. "Perhaps you only truly fight well with a purpose, as much as you seem to enjoy fighting senselessly. So let me offer you this proposition." Nyan could not pin any emotion to the man's voice as he continued. "I am Grigio Rosso, and I have appointed myself to a mission which will shake the heavens and Remnant itself. I have observed your skills and deem you a viable associate. All I ask is your cooperation."

"Like I'd ever help you!"

"You're quite defiant for someone whose arm I could have easily broken moments ago."

"I won't tell you anything." The weakened girl declared.

"You're right. You have nothing to tell me." Grigio replied. "Though, your second semblance is quite useful, isn't it?" Nyan's mouth gaped open.

"How do you know about that?" She growled.

"I have my ways. And I also know that you're struggling with something. Something internal, that you hear and no one else does. And revealing your strife to anybody is off the table for various reasons that you know and I read from your face like an open book."

"And how would you be able to help me?"

"The best way to stop listening to someone, of course, is to listen to someone else."

"I have a team leader!" Nyan defied.

"Oh, but she isn't nearly authoritative enough, is she?"

To be fair, he did have a point. Nyan thought about how Laura had, instead of making her own call on whether she should have even come here, she had asked the other two, not to mention the incident with the Centaur. The protests of her second only poured burn dust on a fire.

"What would I be doing?"

"Simple. Do as I say."

"I won't harm my teammates." Nyan clarified.

"And neither will I, as long as they remain oblivious." The man grabbed a tool and removed Nyan's helmet.

"What are you doing?!"

"I'll only be a second." The man carefully removed one of Nyan's earrings, using the tool to replace it with an identical one.

"What is this?"

"A communication device. Undetectable by the Atlesian military. I expect you to do what I say when I say to. Am I understood?"

After a moment of hesitation, with tears beginning to form in her eyes, Nyan answered.

"Yes."

"Good. Now you should really get going. It's almost six o'clock, and it will start raining in about two minutes." The man said as he departed. Nyan got on her bike and kicked up the stand, putting her helmet back on as she started back for the academy, the first droplets of rain coming but two minutes later.

 _What did I get myself into...?_

* * *

The old cop car pulled up next to an alleyway. Before stepping out, Detective Aulnoy looked over his notes one last time. He stepped into the alleyway, looking underneath a dumpster. He found an object, about the size of a container of tennis balls and examined it for a moment.

"Good evening, Detective." A voice came from the other end of the alleyway. Detective Aulnoy saw an old man, carrying an umbrella, walking calmly towards him. "I believe you have something intended for myself."

"And what do you need this for?" The Detective questioned, keeping the item in his hand.

"I believe some details were within the files you decrypted."

"Some were. But I want to know more."

"Then perhaps you should work with us. I will take you to Mr. Rosso if you desire to lend your assistance." The Detective thought for a moment, looking to the small device before turning back to the man.

"Take me to him."

* * *

 **There's Chapter 3! Took me forever, but I finally got it done! Mew Shadowfang contributed a line, and I'm sure you can tell which one (hint: it's during Nyan and Grigio's fight), but the rest is on me. Hope to see you all again in the next chapter!**


	4. Old Directors Commentary

**Moving this from the old story to here so I can safely delete it. Carry on.**

* * *

 **Hello, everyone! The next chapter is still in the works. Thanks in advance to MewShadowfang and ColorMeBerserk for agreeing to help out a bit! In the mean time, I thought I'd make a sort of 'developer commentary.' Hope you all enjoy, both this and the next chapter!**

 **Now as you all know, this is my third version of this story. The first one, for those who remember, was horrendous. The main four characters were Malina Aulnoy, the team leader who was basically Weiss in personality and Blake in appearance in this rendition; Eli Newman, the boomerang-throwing demoman who could turn invisible; Darien White, the strategy-less arguer who could take a chunk of his health bar and beat you across the head with it; and Rebecca Wisteria, the silent ginger who, in all honesty, was written in as a love interest for Darien. This version got pretty far- 3 volumes of 12 chapters each. However, after taking a short hiatus, I looked over the story with a much more critical eye and decided I hated it. The romantic subplot was awful in almost every respect, up to and including chemistry; the main villain and savior of the series, Schadel, had turned good and, by extension, boring; the fight scenes were poorly written; and the story was honestly a mess overall. So, I deleted the story.**

 **After what I believe was no more than a month, I had begun work on a reboot of the series, though this version would undergo some changes. For one thing, Rebecca Wisteria was no more, now unceremoniously replaced with Haskelle White, who, for those unaware, isn't related to Darien, but rather simply shares a surname. She had a bit more developed of a personality than Rebecca, largely due to her possessing more than ten lines per 20 chapters. Malina and Darien were reworked as well, with their semblances changing from bubbles of darkness and aura constructs respectively to a flashbang effect and basically being a Silent from Doctor Who respectively. Eli also got a semblance that changed between chapters 3 and 6. This version promised to bring back Schadel, this time much earlier in the story. But this version of the story had its own problems.**

 **For one thing, Eli and Haskelle were less characters and more bodies, designed to fill the four-man quota any academy fic requires. It didn't help that Haskelle was a worse version of Eli was a worse version of Darien. This basically meant that the only unique member of the new team, which wasn't the best-named team on this site (MHDE for Myrtle?), was Malina. And while she was certainly better this time around, what with her new backstory and characterization, she was one of the only two good things the story had going for it, the other being Darien. The final chapter of that version was the legendary sparring match between Malina and Darien, written by Pixelmancer. Never before had my story attained such a level of quality, and I feared it wouldn't again with me at the helm.**

 **After foolishly waiting a month, I asked Pixelmancer if he would adopt these characters of mine in order to tell a better story than I ever could. Of course, since I had waited, he was now busy with a story of his own. I didn't want these characters I'd made to have nowhere to go, of course, so I had 'rented them out' to another author for a cameo in his story, but I wasn't quite satisfied. Before I deleted the story, I read it one more time. I wanted to try and find what I'd done right, to see if I could do it again next time. But one of the ideas from that story evolved suddenly, and instantly I had my basic premise.**

 **Near the 'end' of the last version, Ironwood, along with a professor whose name I forget, had designed and tested battlefield technology similar to the gravity lift, power drain, and bubble shield from Halo 3. The kink with the Bubble shield device, the name of which I also forget, was that it used small amounts of aura taken from multiple people in order to generate a force field that would stop dust-based projectiles, while still allowing people through. I read this and thought, 'well gee, that seems a bit of a waste. You could put the aura into the students to make them stronger.' And thus, the third version began. I deleted that version as I started the third, though this time I made a few major changes.**

 **I looked back at the previous two versions of the story, wondering what each had done well. I noticed the highlight of each story was Schadel and the Malina vs Darien sparring match, and I knew what to do. In this version of the story, I would, firstly, get much more help from others. Schadel had been created by MaximumSalt, which meant that the best moments of my stories were the parts where I had gone to others for help. So this time, I went to one of my biggest critics, MewShadowfang. Malina and Darien would remain, but the other two had to go, with Haskelle having never accomplished anything and Eli having overstayed his welcome. So the first thing I asked for help for was characters. Mew, being the awesome person she is, sent me a reference sheet for OCs she'd made for one of her stories, and I chose two to complete my team, and another four for each of their seconds. (That's what I call the inherited auras, by the way.)**

 **The first character I used, who is also the first to replace Malina as the leader of the team, was Laura Thrush. For her, I was given a weapon, personality, semblance, and even a character trailer to use as inspiration, which has made writing her difficult and easy at the same time: yes, I had a concrete personality to work with, but simultaneously, I didn't want to break it, and I feel as though I've done a good job of that so far. I was later complimented by Mew for incorporating the themes from her trailer into the first chapter rather nicely, which was a very much appreciated compliment. Aside from her being a bird faunus, I did have to design her appearance, which consists of a short blue combat dress and golden brown hair reaching to her shoulders. Spoiler alert- she will be the only member of team LMND to get a chapter only featuring herself, maybe even two.**

 **Malina and Darien are virtually unchanged from the last version of the story, though Malina has the added character point of having never met a faunus before Laura, which has influenced her opinion of them for the better. Darien had a backstory that wasn't explored in the last version, but hopefully will be in this one. His personality has also shifted from the first version; instead of having no strategy, he now creates one incredibly quickly, albeit with variable quality.**

 **The other character I borrowed from Mew was Nyan Zaffre, and this one was a bit trickier. You see, besides a bit of a personality, semblance, and a description of one part of her appearance, I had nothing for her. She had been planned as a very minor character in Mew's story, so she didn't have an established weapon yet. Drawing back on past versions of the story, the one weapon I remembered the best was the white fang sergeant's motorcycle. So, after giving her an outfit to match, I had my fourth character.**

 **In addition to the last two characters, I have also frequently bounced ideas off of Mew for future antagonists in the story, and am hoping to give each of the main four a nemesis. In the meantime, the biggest help I've gotten from her- and hopefully more down the line- is the Guest Author System.**

 **As far as I am aware, I do a couple of things no one else- at least in the RWBY section that I'm aware of- does. The first is basing my story in Atlas and Atlas Academy rather than Beacon. The second is the aforementioned Guest Author System. Basically, what I've gone and done is reach out to fellow authors on the site, asking if they'd like to write a scene. The procedure scene and the assignment of the first mission were both written by MewShadowfang. The third is a trick I invite other authors to use- the intro. See, I avoid exposition dumps by writing an exposition dump separate from the body of the story. I borrowed this trick from Star Wars myself, and I'd recommend it if you're having trouble with that sort of thing.**

 **Sorry if this whole thing seemed like I take myself seriously, because I really don't. This is fanfic, after all, and my story still has loads of issues, but hopefully you all can see what has gone into this. I have the first volume planned out, and plan to release the next chapter soon. I hope you've enjoyed, and I'll see you all in the next one!**


End file.
